FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2026
Rebekah Beltran
Fort Bend Regional Partnership
281-566-2158 | [email protected]
Fort Bend Leadership Forum Welcomes
New Class of Community Leaders
The Fort Bend Regional Partnership is proud to announce the Fort Bend Leadership Forum Class of 2027, bringing together an accomplished and diverse group of professionals who represent the businesses, institutions and organizations helping shape the future of Fort Bend County.
Presented by Sewell Audi Sugar Land, the Fort Bend Leadership Forum is designed to do more than develop individual leaders. It creates connections across industries and communities, deepens participants’ understanding of the region, and equips them to become more informed and engaged contributors to Fort Bend County’s continued success.
This year’s class reflects the breadth and strength of the Fort Bend community, with leaders representing business and industry, education, healthcare, engineering, financial services, local government, nonprofit organizations and more.
The Fort Bend Leadership Forum Class of 2027:
| Summer | Alexander | St. Luke’s Health – Sugar Land Hospital |
| Mimi | Arce | Fort Bend County, Precinct 4 |
| Daphane | Carter | Genesys Works |
| Lacie | Chambers | Develop Richmond TX |
| Jared | Chen | Fort Bend County Engineering |
| Brie | Coleman | Tailing International LLC |
| Lauren | Colunga | City of Sugar Land |
| Devin | De Leon | Audi Sugar Land – A Sewell Company |
| Sebastian | Denison | PCCA |
| Sanchita | Dhara | TDECU |
| Eric | DiPasquale | Rice & Gardner Consultants, Inc. |
| Constance | Ehntholt | Inframark |
| Moe | Elahmad | Pape-Dawson |
| Alberto | Espinoza | DCCM |
| Eugene | Ferrer | Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital |
| Brandon | Foster | Texas State Technical College |
| Deresha | Gibson | The George Foundation |
| Carl | Highsmith | Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority |
| Andrea | Howard | Fort Bend County Economic Opportunity & Development |
| Blake | Howard | City of Missouri City Police Department |
| Inez | Hutchinson | University of Houston |
| Marty | Imper | Attack Poverty |
| Paresh | Jain | OppoQuest, LLC |
| Julie | Johnston | Second Mile Mission Center |
| Austin | Keel | DAC Engineering |
| Saiqa | Khan | Empowered Plastic Surgery |
| Jason | Klump | LID Solutions |
| Altaf | Lalani | Direct Capital LLC |
| Elissa | Langston | Brewster Law Firm |
| Suzanne | Loehr | Stieber Insurance Group, LLC |
| Polee | Love | Fort Bend County LID 10 |
| Ana | Martinez | Fort Bend County |
| Kimberly | May | NewFirst National Bank |
| Sundar | Moorthi | RobotLab |
| Klediol | Murati | Harmony Public Schools |
| Joyce | Norton-Wilkins | Stafford Municipal School District |
| Gabriel | Odreman | WSB |
| Megan | Owen | CLS Health |
| Omar | Pena | City of Fulshear |
| Aparna | Rajan | Stantec |
| Kim | Robards | Kelley Kronenberg |
| Eddie | Rodriguez | Hydro Clear Services |
| Kevin | Sabouni | AUTOARCH Architects, LLC |
| Lauren | Selby | Cornerstone Christian Academy |
| Kavita | Self | Houston Museum of Natural Science |
| Nap | Sepulveda | Integrity Water Operations Group |
| Zhen | Shen | Fort Bend Dental Associates |
| Dennis | Spellman | Fort Bend County, Precinct 3 |
| Kevin | Stout | Amegy Bank of Texas |
| Jason | Svatek | BGE, Inc. |
| Cathy | Vento | GFL Environmental |
| Derrick | Ward | Fort Bend ISD |
| Chase | Waxler | Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital |
| Michael | Webster | Houston City College – Southwest |
| Tiffany | Weng | KUO & Associates |
| Marcus | Wilkins | Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, LLC |
| Satya | Yalamanchili | SS Engineering PLLC |
The Fort Bend Leadership Forum is designed to build informed, connected leaders who better understand the community they serve. The program begins with an Opening Retreat focused on relationship-building, personal leadership and establishing a strong foundation for the class. Over the months that follow, participants gain firsthand insight into the issues shaping Fort Bend County through sessions on criminal justice, diversity, economic development and infrastructure, health and social services, education, and local government, along with visits to Austin and Washington, D.C. Together, these experiences strengthen participants’ understanding of the region and build relationships that encourage collaboration long after graduation.
With over 38 years, the Fort Bend Leadership Forum continues to thrive under the direction of Division Co-Chairs Dr. Jay Neal of the University of Houston, and Dr. Kevin Riles of Kevin Riles Commercial, whose leadership ensures that this long-standing program remains the region’s premier leadership development experience.
For more information about the Fort Bend Leadership Forum or to learn about the application for the Class of 2028, please contact Rebekah Beltran at 281-566-2158 or [email protected].
About the Fort Bend Regional Partnership
The Fort Bend Regional Partnership (formerly Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce) is a 5-star accredited, the largest single-county chamber in the greater Houston region and the largest business organization in Fort Bend County representing over 1,000 business organizations, over 5,000 individuals, and over 250,000 jobs. As the advocate for excellence in Fort Bend County and beyond, we do essential work to protect the business interests in our region. The organization has been able, over the last 53 years, to be a strong and successful voice for business due to the solid and impressive investment of our members. The Partnership creates, enhances and promotes the dynamic environment in which we work and live.
###