Contacts N' Coffee - July Edition!

To register for this event, please CLICK HERE.

Until we can all meet again in person and share some delicious food and tasty coffee together, we will continue to meet virtually via the internet.

The format will be identical to our previous Contacts N' Coffee events in that you will have the opportunity to introduce yourself, your position, the entity that you represent, what it is that your entity provides and, importantly, what entity/entities might make a great referral for you. (Of course, it would not be Contacts N' Coffee without having a fun/silly question to answer as well!)

It is more important now than ever to reach out and develop strong business connections! We are all in this together and it is a lot better to not have to overcome these challenges that we currently face alone. So, put on your professional smile, crank up the enthusiasm, seize the moment and shine!

 "The State of Northside from Both a Business and Community Perspective"

 Featured Presenters -

Rebecca Reyna, Executive Director - Greater Northside Management District

&

Maria Aguirre-Borrero, Director of Community Initiatives - Avenue CDC

Our Featured Presenters will be Rebecca Reyna, Executive Director for the Greater Northside Management District (Pictured at left or top) & Maria Aguirre-Borrero, Director of Community Initiatives for Avenue CDC (Pictured at right or bottom).

We are honored and thrilled to have two of Northside's most knowledgeable resources in one event! Receive important updates from Ms. Reyna and Ms. Aguirre-Borrero regarding the current state of Northside from both a business and community standpoint, their outlook for the future and what objectives their respective organizations are working on in response.

We will have a Q&A session following their presentations.

ABOUT REBECCA REYNA

Rebecca Reyna is the Executive Director of the Greater Northside Management District. She manages projects and programs, including various economic development and community development initiatives. She is heavily involved in the community through her many leadership and volunteer roles.

Rebecca attended Houston Independent School District schools, went on to graduate from Texas A&M – Corpus Christi with a criminology degree. After college, Rebecca returned to Houston and worked in social services. Having a strong desire to help youth, she worked with at-risk children at Covenant House, Interfaith Ministries, Children’s Defense Fund, and Harris County Children’s Protective Services. During this time she became a Juvenile Probation Officer with Harris County she was responsible for implementing a special, intensive supervision program for females. She has been on the founding boards of two nonprofits, one a community development corporation and The Institute for Civility in Government, that seeks to educate and empower students to have a civil voice in Government.

In 2002, Rebecca returned to live in Houston’s Northside and began volunteering in the Northside Village Weed-N-Seed Initiative. Through this process, she took an active part in community events, such as Monster Mash and area clean-ups. Rebecca was then hired as Council Member Adrian Garcia’s Policy Director, during which time she began attending University of Houston School for Public Administration.

Rebecca’s nonprofit, Harris County and City of Houston experience enabled her to become the first full time executive director for the Greater Northside Management District in April 2007. During her tenure, the District has seen a reduction in crime, graffiti and litter while becoming a more livable neighborhood. Currently Rebecca is a Junior Fellow in the American Leadership Forum.

ABOUT MARIA AGUIRRE-BORRERO

Maria is motivated by a deep desire to serve others and help build a more equitable world. She has moved countries 15 times and has humanitarian experience in Mexico, Colombia, and Kenya. She has worked in Oil and Gas where she was taught project management and the great differences between the private and non-profit worlds. Her current work at Avenue, where she is the Director of Community Initiatives, is centered around teaching “poder” meaning “power” but also “the power to” in communities that have often felt powerless. She graduated from Baylor University second in her Major: International Relations, and was recognized for her dedicated community work in the Waco area.