Events

     On Jan. 1, 2023, Brian D. Freedman began his tenure as president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership (BAHEP) having served as president-elect since August 2022. As president, Freedman leads regional economic development efforts, advocates for regional priorities, and directs a team of world-class economic development professionals. The Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership is a membership-driven organization dedicated to stimulating regional economic development and employment. The organization utilizes a collaborative committee structure engaging over 290 member companies, business professionals, local governments, and educational institutions along with 18 cities and Harris and Galveston counties.

Prior to joining BAHEP, Freedman served as senior manager of State and Local Government Operations, Southwest Region, for The Boeing Company. He was responsible for overseeing state and local government relations activities at multiple Boeing facilities throughout Texas and Colorado. This work included advising on legislative issues impacting Boeing, acting as the liaison with elected officials, communicating key messages, and leading strategic outreach efforts with employees, supplier bases, business organizations, and state, local, and federal officials.

Freedman served as the lead for Legislative Affairs at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, before joining Boeing in March 2013. He was responsible for all aspects of communication and relationships between NASA JSC and the U.S. Congress, state and local governments, space-related associations, and citizen-organized space groups.

Preceding his work at NASA, Freedman was the aerospace coordinator and contract administrator for BAHEP. There he coordinated aerospace industry advocacy efforts and managed a portfolio of economic development contracts between the organization and nine municipalities. Freedman serves on numerous community organizations and boards.          

He is a current board member and the past chairman of the board of the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and vice chair for Wellby Financial.

Freedman holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Mississippi State University, an MBA with a graduate certificate in finance from Colorado State University, and an executive certificate in strategy and innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mary Sue Shy Anton is an author, writer, and editor. She was born on a dairy farm near the Mississippi River during the Great Depression. One of her most vivid childhood memories is the 1937 flood, when her family evacuated in the middle of the night and lived in the local courthouse for several weeks.

At age 25, after leaving the homeplace to seek her fortune elsewhere, she met Arthur David Anton, recently discharged from the Air Force. After their marriage, she put her husband through school, working as a secretary with a secret clearance at an Air Force base.  With two small children, they settled in southeast Missouri until her husband pursued his dream of becoming a physician. The author returned to work, and Art received his M.D. degree from the University of Missouri, but not before their third child was born. In 1969, the family moved to Texas for Art’s medical practice.

Mary Sue is a graduate of Loretto Academy, Kansas City, Missouri and received a B.A. in history from the University of Houston-Clear Lake (Texas).  She has worked as a computer tutor, genealogy lecturer, soybean farmer, freelance writer and editor.  After publishing a genealogy book with two cousins in 1994, she began writing popular histories.

Today she lives  in League City, Texas where she used her time during the Coronavirus pandemic to write this, her fourth book. Her siblings contributed their own stories to round out her memories and chronicle of her life.

John is retired from NASA where he served as the agency's Chief Toxicologist for 25 years. He is a science junkie, having earned advanced degrees in three diffierent sciences - astronomy, chemistry, and pathology. He has been a patient safety activist since the loss of his oldest son due to medical errors in 2002. He is the veteran of many mission trips, including ones to Haiti, Ecuador, and Mexico. He has published two books - A Sea of Broken Hearts and Response Theology, and co-edited a book called The Truth about Big Medicine. He is a scientist and Christian mystic. He enjoys life with his wife Donna who has tolerated him for 48 years, his two children who are loving Christians, and 5 grandchildren. He is currently the Chairperson of the Board for Crossroads at Park Place. 

The Haak Winery Story

By Kristen Wollengerg

Please join us this Monday to learn about the the story of the Haak Winery by Kristen Wollenber, Director of Events and Weddings. Please bring your friends, collegaues and family members.