Houston City College (HCC) Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. has been named the 2025 Western Regional Chief Executive Officer Award recipient by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT)—a prestigious honor that recognizes visionary leadership transforming student outcomes and community prosperity across the West Region.
The recognition will be celebrated this fall at the ACCT Leadership Congress in New Orleans, where regional honorees gather to share strategies and spotlight student-first innovation. The ACCT Annual Awards Gala is on Friday, October 24, 2025, in New Orleans, LA.
“This award represents the hard work and commitment of the HCC faculty and staff to serve our students,” said Dr. Ford Fisher. “Their success—preparing students, whether in Houston or abroad, to thrive in a modern, interconnected economy—is what drives us forward. And this award reflects their magnificent work.”
A Legacy of Access, a Blueprint for Tomorrow
For more than five decades, HCC has been the people’s on-ramp to opportunity—from first-generation high-school graduates to mid-career professionals and globally connected learners. With annual enrollment topping 95,000, a constellation of 14 Centers of Excellence, and satellite centers embedded in neighborhoods across the region, HCC’s scale is—like Houston itself—bold and unapologetically inclusive.
Through its Global Online College, the institution extends Houston know-how across time zones, widening the circle of economic mobility.
Under Dr. Ford Fisher’s steady, future-focused leadership, HCC has sharpened its edge where it matters most: digital equity, workforce alignment, and inclusive academic pathways. She’s been a consistent national voice on the AACC International Relations Commission, serves on the AACC Commission on Technology and Infrastructure Support, and previously represented community colleges before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy on National Science Foundation issues—elevating Houston’s perspective in conversations that shape
America’s talent pipeline.
“The HCC team is building partnerships across industry and the community to grow as a future-focused institution that connects education to opportunity and empowers students to lead in a rapidly evolving world,” Dr. Ford Fisher added.
Why this Matters to Houston
Workforce wins: From healthcare to hydrogen, logistics to cybersecurity, HCC’s programs place students where good jobs meet regional demand.
Equity in action: Digital access, flexible schedules, and stackable credentials make higher education reachable and affordable for working families.
Global reach, local roots: HCC’s Global Online College exports Houston’s practical excellence while bringing new partnerships back home.
The Road to ACCT’s Top Honor
As the Western Region honoree, Dr. Ford Fisher advances as the region’s sole nominee for ACCT’s highest recognition— the Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer Award—to be announced at the ACCT Annual Awards Gala on Friday, October 24, 2025 (time TBA). Regardless of the final outcome, Houston wins: the nomination amplifies the city’s reputation as a national model for community-college leadership.
Quick facts: Houston City College
Students served annually: 95,000+ Footprint: 14 Centers of Excellence + satellite centers across Greater Houston Mission in motion: Open-admission associate degrees, workforce certificates, and lifelong learning—built for an increasingly international, tech-driven economy
Houston Style Magazine congratulates Chancellor Ford Fisher and the HCC family — proof that when Houston invests in access and ambition, students rise, industries flourish, and our city leads.
Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher - HCC Chancellor
DR. LISA ALCORTA JOINS HOUSTON CITY COLLEGE AS VICE CHANCELLOR OF STUDENT SERVICES
By Francis Page Jr. For www.StyleMagazine.com
Houston City College (HCC) has named Dr. Lisa Alcorta its new Vice Chancellor of Student Services, effective August 18. With more than 25 years of leadership in higher education, student affairs, and institutional transformation, Dr. Alcorta arrives with a proven track record of turning big goals into measurable gains for students.
“I’m honored to join HCC at such a pivotal time,” said Dr. Alcorta. “Together, we’ll build clear, supportive pathways so every student can achieve their academic and personal goals.”
Why this hire matters for Houston HCC is one of the nation’s largest open-admission community college systems and a launchpad for first-generation students, career-changers, and working families across Greater Houston. Dr. Alcorta’s appointment signals an HCC commitment to student-centered service, equity in access, and data-informed decision-making—the same pillars that have defined her career.
“Dr. Alcorta’s student-first leadership and equity focus will strengthen how we serve Houstonians,” said Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D. “Her experi-
A leader shaped by student success
• Most recently: Senior Vice President for Programs & Operations at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), guiding initiatives that support more than 500 member institutions across the U.S. and abroad.
• Previously: Senior posts within Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio, including Vice President of Student Success at San Antonio College, where she oversaw en-
rollment management and championed retention, graduation, and transfer outcomes.
• Signature strengths: Holistic student experience models, cross-functional collaboration, and results driven by smart use of data.
Fast facts: Dr. Lisa Alcorta
• Role: Vice Chancellor of Student Services, Houston City College (HCC)
• Start date: August 18, 2025
• Education:
• Ed.D., Educational Leadership & Administration — The University of Texas at Austin
• M.S.W., Social Work — Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio)
• B.A., The University of Texas at San Antonio
What students can expect
Under Dr. Alcorta’s leadership, readers can expect a sharpened focus on:
• Seamless enrollment & onboarding that removes barriers and speeds time to class.
• Holistic supports—advising, financial aid navigation, mental-health and basic-needs resources—woven together around each learner’s goals.
• Clear transfer & career pathways that connect coursework to jobs, apprenticeships, and four-year degrees.
• Data-guided improvements so services keep getting better, semester after semester.
About Houston City College
Home to 14 Centers of Excellence and numerous satellite centers, HCC serves the diverse communities of Greater Houston with associate degrees, certificates, workforce training, and lifelong learning—preparing students to live and work in an increasingly international, technology-driven economy.
Houston Style Magazine is proud to celebrate leadership moves that strengthen opportunity for all Houstonians. Welcome to Houston, Dr. Alcorta.
ence will help us ensure every student has the support to succeed.”
Dr. Lisa Alcorta
In the heart of west Houston, where Bellaire, Bissonnet, Beechnut, and Boone pulse with life from Beltway 8 to Mission Bend, one leader has become a defining voice for educational equity, community empowerment, and student success: Dr. Darlene Breaux, President of the Alief ISD Board of Trustees.
With her re-election bid in the upcoming Tuesday, November 4, 2025, General Election (early voting begins Monday, October 20 through Friday, October 31, 2025, with the last day to register set for Monday, October 6, 2025), Dr. Breaux is determined to deliver on a vision where every child has access to opportunity and every taxpayer knows their investment is in capable hands.
From West Virginia Roots to Houston Leadership
Dr. Breaux’s journey began in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where she grew up in a family of nine siblings, in a community where higher education was rarely expected. “I was not supposed to go to college,” she reflects, “but possibility is the fuel of transformation.”
When she visited her sister in Katy in the 1980s, she instantly knew Houston’s soil was where her future would grow. Enrolling at Texas Southern University, she
DR. DARLENE BREAUX: A VISIONARY CHAMPION FOR EDUCATION AND EQUITY IN ALIEF ISD
By Burt Levine, Political Editor for www.StyleMagazine.com
earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology before teaching kindergarten and first grade in private schools and later Houston ISD. Her educational trajectory continued with a master’s in leadership from University of Houston–Clear Lake and ultimately a doctorate in organizational leadership from Abilene Christian University.
Academic Powerhouse and National Advocate
A passionate educator turned policymaker, Dr. Breaux has spent more than three decades championing reforms for underserved and minority students. Her research on dyslexia training—downloaded by over 154 institutions across 95 countries—reshaped how educators address the academic and emotional needs of students. Her leadership is recognized nationwide:
• 2024 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Joe Biden.
• School Board Member of the Year by HAABSE, TABSE, and NABSE.
• Named one of Houston’s Top 30 Influential Women.
• Featured by Texas School Business Magazine as a Thought Leader and Innovator in Education.
She also serves as Founder & CEO of Insight Ed. Consulting, guiding organizations to dismantle barriers and implement strategies for success. Her book chapter,
What Do You Do When Silence Is No Longer Golden, was praised by Psychology Today as an “Essential Read.”
A Voice for Every Student
Today, Alief ISD reflects the diversity of Houston itself: approximately 60% Hispanic, 25% Black, 10% Asian, and 3% white. For Dr. Breaux, that means ensuring success for all students—no matter their background.
• Equity in education: providing resources for historically underserved students.
• Community empowerment: ensuring families, churches, and local organizations have a seat at the table.
Faith, family, and service are at the
center of her work. Whether through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., her role with the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), or her community leadership with Houston reVision, Dr. Breaux is a constant advocate for excellence.
Shaping the Future
Dr. Breaux’s impact resonates beyond Houston. As Program Director for the EdD in Educational Leadership at Abilene Christian University, she prepares the next generation of educational leaders.
Nationally, she serves as co-chair of the Coalition of Professional Organizations and as an analyst for the Texas Education Policy Institute (TEPI), influencing policies that shape classrooms across America.
For Dr. Breaux, the mission is clear: “Public education is the legislature’s number one responsibility, and I will always fight for students who deserve more than promises—they deserve progress.”
Dr. Darlene Breaux
Dr. Laura Murillo - President
Francis Page, Laura Murillo, J.P. Ramirez, Linda Toyota & Guillermo Martinez Jeffrey Campbell, Linda Toyota, Victoria Lara & Francis Page, Jr.
Julie Sudduth - President PNC
Dr. Laura Murillo and Francis Page Jr
Roberto Contreras, IV - Board Chairman
Juan Padilla, John Hernandez , Laura Murillo & Colleagues
David, Gabriel, Francis & Patrick Francis, Hector Villarreal & Jeffrey Campbell Rima Adil and Francis Page, Jr.
Juan Padilla, Linda Toyota, John Hernandez & Michael Trevino
Francis, Lenora, Sonia & Jeffrey
Photos By Linda Toyota & TeamStyleMag
Houston, get your bookmarks ready. Former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is taking her new memoir, 107 Days (Simon & Schuster, out Sept. 23, 2025), on a national conversation tour—and H-Town is one of the marquee stops. Think intimate onstage Q&A, campaign insights you haven’t heard, and a crowd that knows how to show up for civic conversation.
Houston Spotlight: The Hobby Center
• Date & Venue: Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 — The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
• Local Partner: Blue Willow Bookshop (every GA ticket includes a copy of 107 Days)
• VIP: Select dates include Meet & Greet + personal photo and a signed copy. Availability varies by city—check your event listing when purchasing.
• Tickets: Primary onsale (Aug. 22) moved fast. If Houston’s sold out, check the Hobby Center box office first, then verified resale platforms where prices can fluctuate.
SPECIAL NOTE: Some early listings referenced an October 10, 2025, Houston date. As of press time, the tour schedule shows Saturday, October 4, 2025, for Houston. Always confirm details on the official site.
What to Expect
KAMALA HARRIS’ 107 DAYS BOOK TOUR
COMES TO HOUSTON — HERE’S HOW TO BE IN THE ROOM
By Francis Page, Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
Harris’ 15-city tour trades stump speeches for storytelling—reflecting on the 2024 presidential campaign, lessons learned, and a forward-looking vision. Each stop partners with an independent bookstore, keeping book culture—and community—front and center.
Full 2025 Tour Schedule
• 09/24 – New York, NY — The Town Hall (with Barnes & Noble)
• 09/25 – Philadelphia, PA — The Met Philadelphia (with Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books)
• 09/29 – Los Angeles, CA — The Wiltern
(with Book Soup)
• 10/04 – Houston, TX — The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts (with Blue Willow Bookshop)
• 10/05 – San Francisco, CA — The Masonic (with Book Passage)
• 11/20 – Miami, FL — Ziff Opera House (with Books & Books)
Quick Guide: Tickets & Access
• Primary tickets: Check the venue page first; many dates include a book with every ticket.
• Resale: Limited seats may appear on verified resale marketplaces; prices may be above or below face value.
• VIP options: Offered on select dates; typically include a photo op + signed book.
• Official info: Tour updates and city-specific details: 107daysbook.com.
Why It Matters to Houston
Houston Style Magazine readers love a good page-turner and a good conversation. Between our thriving indie book community, a nationally watched political landscape, and a Theater District built for marquee moments, Houston is the perfect stage for stories about power, policy, and possibility.
Kamala Harris - Former Vice President of the United States
Houston runs on hustle—and few Houstonians embody that spirit like Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale. In partnership with Houston Community College (HCC) Northwest’s Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship, Mack’s people-first sales philosophy has powered a fast-growing program that’s changing how the city learns to sell, serve, and succeed.
Four years in, the HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling has become a standout success story:
• 9 cohorts completed (4 virtual, 5 onsite)
• 380 graduates/alumni and counting
• Mack continues to participate in every cohort
“We’re in the business of helping people,” is the heartbeat of Mack’s approach—and it’s the throughline of HCC’s curriculum.
How It Started—and Why It Works
The series launched from a 2020 conversation between Dr. Zachary Hodges (President, HCC Northwest) and Jim McIngvale, with guidance from Entrepreneur-in-Residence David Regenbaum. Early funding from Mattress Mack and Gallery Furniture helped HCC pilot a virtual cohort in Summer 2021 during the pandemic, then expand to onsite sessions in 2022—the same year Mack keynoted the HCC Foundation
FROM LAUNCH TO NOW: HCC’S MATTRESS MACK SCHOOL OF SELLING OPENS FALL 2025 ONSITE COHORT
Gala and surprised the room with a major donation to support student success.
Curriculum architects Austin
Tenette and Dr. Kimberly Burroughs set the original bar; in 2023, Landi Spearman joined the faculty team to lead three sessions as the series continued to evolve—true to Mack’s ethos of continuous improvement.
Fall 2025: Apply Now for the Onsite
Cohort (Space Is Limited)
Location: HCC Alief Hayes Campus
Format: Six onsite sessions (attendance at all six is required to graduate)
When: Wednesdays, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Session Lineup (Fall 2025):
• Sept 09 – The Art of Listening
• Sept 16 – Persistence
• Sept 23 – The Ability to Say No
• Sept 30 – Caring Customer Service
• Oct 07 – Building a Book of Business
• Oct 14 – What You Learn After You Know It All
What You’ll Earn:
Graduates receive an HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling Certificate of Completion—a résumé-ready credential signaling mastery of modern, customer-centered selling.
Deadline: 2:00 p.m. CT, September 3, 2025.
Apply / Learn More (topics, facilitators, alumni testimonials): �� https://bit.ly/MMSSOnsiteFall25
Gratitude Where It’s Due HCC extends deep thanks to Jim McIngvale and Gallery Furniture for early
and ongoing support; to Austin Tenette, Dr. Kimberly Burroughs, and Landi Spearman for expert instruction; and to Dr. Zachary Hodges and David Regenbaum for leadership that keeps the program current, rigorous, and relentlessly student-focused.
Quick Facts (At-a-Glance)
• Program: HCC Mattress Mack School of Selling (Onsite)
• Host: Glenda & David Regenbaum Center for Entrepreneurship – HCC Northwest
The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) has once again elevated Houston’s cultural landscape, opening two extraordinary exhibitions that capture the spirit, resilience, and boundless creativity of the African diaspora. Running Friday, August 29, 2025, through Monday, December 15, 2025, art lovers can immerse themselves in The Journey to Everything by Danny Simmons and Who Feels It, Knows It by Chayse Sampy. Together, these exhibitions are not just a showcase—they are a dialogue across generations, mediums, and lived experiences.
Danny Simmons’ The Journey to Everything: Poetry in Paint Philadelphia-based artist Danny Simmons—a Neo-African Abstract Expressionist painter, poet, novelist, philanthropist, and Tony Award-winning producer—brings his vibrant vision to Houston in a body of work that resonates deeply with themes of diaspora, ancestral memory, and Black spirituality.
The exhibition’s title piece, The Journey to Everything, evokes the unfinished lines of poetry—an artistic enjambment that flows endlessly into the future. Simmons, who has authored five poetry collections with another on the way, challenges audiences not just to consume his work but
HMA AC PRESENTS THE JOURNEY TO EVERYTHING AND WHO FEELS IT, KNOWS IT — A CELEBRATION OF BLACK ARTISTRY
By Francis Page Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
to participate in it. His canvases pulsate with juxtaposed dots of paint, Ankara fabric, Bogolan mud cloth from Mali, Congolese bark cloth, neon lace, and expressive splashes of color, forming visual symphonies that honor history while reimagining tomorrow.
Curated by John Guess, Jr., with co-curation by Danielle Finnerman, Simmons’ paintings are presented alongside select African objects from his personal collection. The effect is an immersive experience that bridges contemporary art with cultural memory.
“Danny Simmons’ work has al-
ready made waves in Baltimore, and we are fortunate to bring this transformative exhibition to Houston,” said Guess. “This is Simmons at his most dynamic, pushing forward the boundaries of his art.”
Chayse Sampy’s Who Feels It, Knows It: Resistance and Resilience in Motion
Complementing Simmons’ work is Who Feels It, Knows It by Chayse Sampy, a rising star in Houston’s art scene whose work has already garnered national attention. Her mixed-media paintings—infused with collage, sculpture, and symbolic materials—serve as monuments, memorials, and collective memories. Sampy draws on the enduring spirit of Black resistance, embedding her pieces with the resourcefulness and adaptability that define the Black experience.
“My work is in dialogue with artists like Arthur Jafa, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, and Wangechi Mutu,” Sampy explains. “I see it as capturing the full spectrum of Black life—the struggle, the beauty, the imagination.”
Curator Danielle Finnerman hails Sampy as “one of the fastest rising visual arts talents out of Houston,” noting her background at Sanman Studios and her features in New American Paintings West and Burnaway. Currently a NXTHVN Cohort 07
Studio and Curatorial Fellow, Sampy’s work stands as both testament and challenge—a call to engage with the centuries-long war on Black imagination.
A Cultural Gift to Houston
Both exhibitions are generously supported by the Houston Endowment, H-E-B, Jones Walker LLP, Sara and Bill Morgan, and HMAAC’s Board of Directors, underscoring the city’s commitment to sustaining and amplifying African American culture.
At its core, HMAAC’s mission is clear: to be a museum for all people, telling the unique story of African Americans while fostering a multicultural dialogue that connects Houston to the global stage. These exhibitions, steeped in symbolism, history, and hope, affirm the museum’s role as a cultural anchor in the city.
Why You Should Go
Whether you are an art enthusiast, a student of history, or someone seeking inspiration, The Journey to Everything and Who Feels It, Knows It promise an unforgettable experience. These are not passive exhibitions—they are living, breathing conversations about identity, resilience, and imagination.
Danny Simmons
Famine is confirmed in the Gaza Governorate, including Gaza City. Here’s what that means, why Hamas deserves unequivocal condemnation, and how Houstonians can help—now.
The headline no one wanted: Famine in Gaza City
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has confirmed famine in the Gaza Governorate, including Gaza City.
Translation:
• Families have almost no food access;
• Dangerous child malnutrition is widespread;
• People are dying of hunger daily.
Analysts warn famine could spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis without rapid access and scale-up. About 514,000 people are already in famine conditions, potentially 641,000 if nothing changes. Global health leaders continue to call for a ceasefire and unrestricted aid.
Bottom line: famine is driven by policy choices—and different choices can end it.
How we got here—without losing the plot
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas committed mass murder and kidnappings—war crimes we unequivocally condemn. Israel’s prolonged campaign then devastated Gaza’s
GAZA’S CHILDREN ARE NOT NEGOTIATING CHIPS: HOUSTON MUST STAND WITH CIVILIANS—AND REJECT HAMAS
By Francis Page Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
infrastructure and repeatedly displaced civilians. Aid flows have never met need: roughly 100 trucks/day in parts of late spring–summer versus ~500/day pre-war. Operations that empty neighborhoods also empty pantries. That’s how famine takes root.
A durable solution pairs full ceasefire, release of all hostages, and guaranteed aid corridors. Anything less is a headline waiting to happen again.
Say it plainly: Hamas is not Gaza
Hamas chose violence, repression, and fighting from civilian areas—endangering families and aid workers alike.
Hamas must free every hostage and disarm. Gaza’s people deserve leadership that invests in schools and hospitals, not tunnels and terror. And collective punishment is not justice; protecting civilians is a moral red line.
What “famine” means in human terms
Famine triggers when an area crosses thresholds for food access, acute child malnutrition, and hunger-related deaths. In Gaza City, clinicians report kids with shrinking arm circumference, parents skipping meals for days, and too little therapeutic food. Statistics say that people are starving; clinic lines show who.
A Houston work plan: compassion with logistics
Houston understands crisis response—speed, scale, coordination. Let’s put that to work.
What Houstonians can do
• Support trusted aid groups (WFP, UNICEF, IRC, Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, ANERA).
• Advocate for three linked goals: ceasefire + release of hostages + scaled, safe aid.
• Mobilize local networks—faith commu-
nities, campuses, civic clubs—for fundraisers, teach-ins, and interfaith vigils that center civilians.
• Fight disinformation by sharing updates from credible humanitarian sources.
• Use your platforms to keep attention on human stakes, not hot takes.
Numbers at a glance
• Famine confirmed: Gaza Governorate (incl. Gaza City); risk to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
• In famine now: ~514,000; projected 641,000 without major course-corrections.
• Aid gap: ~100 trucks/day in parts of late spring–summer vs. ~500/day pre-war.
• Imperative: Ceasefire, hostages home, aid at scale.
Houston Style Magazine editorial stance
Houston Style Magazine stands with Palestinian civilians of the Gaza Governorate seeking food, safety, and a future. We are Hamas-critical because its violence and authoritarianism sabotage that future. We are pro-human, demanding a ceasefire that feeds families, frees hostages, and rebuilds hope for Gaza’s next generation.
Gaza’s children did not choose this war. They shouldn’t have to survive it alone.
Some songs don’t just land—they arrive with a little starlight on their shoulders. Ledisi’s radiant take on
“What a Difference a Day Made” is one of those moments: a gleaming, time-slipping conversation between two towering Black women in American music—today’s GRAMMY-winning vocal dynamo and yesterday’s indomitable “Queen” who opened the door.
The single, out now, is the first taste of Ledisi’s new album For Dinah—a lovingly crafted tribute to Dinah Washington—arriving Friday, October 3, 2025, on Candid Records. The timing couldn’t be sweeter: August 29, 2025, marks what would have been Washington’s 101st birthday. Consider this release a birthday bouquet from one queen to another.
Dinah Washington:
The Original Standard Setter
Before playlists and algorithms, Dinah Washington curated the American songbook in real time—swinging through jazz clubs, bending the blues, and scaling pop charts with a signature mix of bite and velvet. Her 1959 recording of “What a Difference a Day Made” earned a GRAMMY for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance, later landing in the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. It also gave Washington her first Top-10 pop hit, proving what Houston already knows in
By Francis Page, Jr. for
its bones: great voices refuse to stay in one lane.
Ledisi’s Love Letter Arranged for Right Now Ledisi’s version doesn’t imitate; it interprets—opening with cinematic hush, then lifting into a sunrise of brass, strings, and a lead vocal that glides, testifies, and test-drives every curve in the melody. Co-produced by Christian McBride—yes, that Christian McBride—and longtime collaborator Rex Rideout, the project surrounds
BAYOU CITY ART FESTIVAL
Ledisi with elite company: a buttery duet with Gregory Porter, guitar sorcery from Paul Jackson Jr., and keys from rising ace Michael King.
This isn’t nostalgia; it’s restoration. Ledisi is reclaiming a chapter of women’s musical leadership often summarized in footnotes. As she’s said plainly, “Before there was Aretha, there was Dinah.” The point lands: Washington’s fearlessness— sonic, sartorial, and entrepreneurial—gave permission for generations of artists to sing out, dress boldly, lead bands, and demand
excellence.
A Houston-Ready Resonance Houston’s jazz lineage—those late-night rooms, those church-trained runs, those brass-bright marching bands— makes this tribute feel local. Our readers grew up on voices that could both shout the blues and hush a sanctuary. Ledisi’s tribute taps that same electricity: elegant, grown, and joyously unbothered by genre borders.
Fresh off a European run, Ledisi brings For Dinah to U.S. stages this fall, including an album-release performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles on October 3. Expect a set that pairs satin-glove standards with Ledisi’s own catalog of modern classics.
Why This Record Matters
History, held in the present tense. Ledisi bridges Dinah’s catalog to a new audience without sanding down the edges that made Washington iconic. Black women in command. From the bandstand to the boardroom, Dinah modeled artistic authority. Ledisi carries that banner—stylish, strategic, and absolutely centered.
Texas Commission on environmenTal QualiTy
NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN WATER QUALITY PERMIT RENEWAL
PERMIT NO. WQ0010058001
APPLICATION. City of West University Place, 3800 University Boulevard, West University Place, Texas 77005, has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to renew Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) Permit No. WQ0010058001 (EPA I.D. No. TX0023841) to authorize the discharge of treated wastewater at a volume not to exceed an annual average flow of 2,000,000 gallons per day. The domestic wastewater treatment facility is located at 2801 North Braeswood Boulevard, in the city of Houston, in Harris County, Texas 77025. The discharge route is from the plant site to Brays Bayou Above Tidal, thence to Brays Bayou, which is part of the Houston Ship Channel/ Buffalo Bayou Tidal. TCEQ received this application on July 25, 2025. The permit application will be available for viewing and copying at West University Place Municipal Building, City Secretary’s Office, 3800 University Boulevard, West University Place, in Harris County, Texas prior to the date this notice is published in the newspaper. The application, including any updates, and associated notices are available electronically at the following webpage: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/pending-permits/tpdes-applications. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For the exact location, refer to the application. https://gisweb.tceq.texas.gov/LocationMapper/?marker=-95.42004,29.696455&level=18
ALTERNATIVE LANGUAGE NOTICE. Alternative language notice in Spanish is available at: https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/pending-permits/tpdes-applications
El aviso de idioma alternativo en español está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/wastewater/pending-permits/tpdes-applications
ADDITIONAL NOTICE. TCEQ’s Executive Director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of the application. After technical review of the application is complete, the Executive Director may prepare a draft permit and will issue a preliminary decision on the application. Notice of the Application and Preliminary Decision will be published and mailed to those who are on the county-wide mailing list and to those who are on the mailing list for this application. That notice will contain the deadline for submitting public comments.
PUBLIC COMMENT / PUBLIC MEETING. You may submit public comments or request a public meeting on this application. The purpose of a public meeting is to provide the opportunity to submit comments or to ask questions about the application. TCEQ will hold a public meeting if the Executive Director determines that there is a significant degree of public interest in the application or if requested by a local legislator. A public meeting is not a contested case hearing.
OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. After the deadline for submitting public comments, the Executive Director will consider all timely comments and prepare a response to all relevant and material, or significant public comments. Unless the application is directly referred for a contested case hearing, the response to comments, and the Executive Director’s decision on the application, will be mailed to everyone who submitted public comments and to those persons who are on the mailing list for this application. If comments are received, the mailing will also provide instructions for requesting reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision and for requesting a contested case hearing. A contested case hearing is a legal proceeding similar to a civil trial in state district court.
TO REQUEST A CONTESTED CASE HEARING, YOU MUST INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS IN YOUR REQUEST: your name, address, phone number; applicant’s name and proposed permit number; the location and distance of your property/activities relative to the proposed facility; a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the facility in a way not common to the general public; a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period and, the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing.” If the request for contested case hearing is filed on behalf of a group or association, the request must designate the group’s representative for receiving future correspondence; identify by name and physical address an individual member of the group who would be adversely affected by the proposed facility or activity; provide the information discussed above regarding the affected member’s location and distance from the facility or activity; explain how and why the member would be affected; and explain how the interests the group seeks to protect are relevant to the group’s purpose.
Following the close of all applicable comment and request periods, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for reconsideration or for a contested case hearing to the TCEQ Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting.
The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material water quality concerns submitted during the comment period.
TCEQ may act on an application to renew a permit for discharge of wastewater without providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met.
MAILING LIST. If you submit public comments, a request for a contested case hearing or a reconsideration of the Executive Director’s decision, you will be added to the mailing list for this specific application to receive future public notices mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk. In addition, you may request to be placed on: (1) the permanent mailing list for a specific applicant name and permit number; and/or (2) the mailing list for a specific county. If you wish to be placed on the permanent and/or the county mailing list, clearly specify which list(s) and send your request to TCEQ Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below.
INFORMATION AVAILABLE ONLINE. For details about the status of the application, visit the Commissioners’ Integrated Database at www.tceq.texas.gov/goto/cid. Search the database using the permit number for this application, which is provided at the top of this notice.
AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. All public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the TCEQ Public Education Program, Toll Free, at 1-800-687-4040 or visit their website at www. tceq.texas.gov/goto/pep. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040.
Further information may also be obtained from City of West University Place at the address stated above or by calling Mr. Mike Leech, Public Works Director, at (713) 662-5846.
Issuance Date: August 12, 2025
When there’s school, there’s Afterschool—starting Tuesday, September 2! Houston families, sharpen those pencils and lace up those dance shoes—the Edison Arts Foundation is opening the curtain on another inspiring year of its Afterschool Arts Academy for ages 5–13.
This beloved program blends daily transportation to FBAAD, high-energy dance classes (ballet, hip-hop, modern, and tap), year-round performance opportunities, and the kind of after-school academic support that keeps homework—and confidence—on track.
Why Houston Style Magazine loves this program
Because it works. Kids arrive from school, refuel with snacks, tackle assignments with homework assistance, and then step into the studio to learn technique, rhythm, and stage presence. It’s a full afternoon of arts education + enrichment, wrapped in the Edison Arts Foundation’s mission to make quality arts training accessible to all families.
What families can expect
Daily transportation from school to FBAAD Dance training in ballet, hip-hop, modern, and tap
EDISON ARTS FOUNDATION’S AFTERSCHOOL ARTS ACADEMY RETURNS: DANCE,
HOMEWORK HELP, AND DAILY JOY FOR HOUSTON KIDS
By Francis Page, Jr. for
Showtime all year: recitals and community performance opportunities
Academic enrichment and homework help built into each afternoon
Scholarships available: free and reduced-cost options ensure no child sits out for financial reasons
Real community: a supportive, structured environment that celebrates effort, artistry, and growth
New season, big milestone
This fall marks the 19th dance
season for the FBAAD family—proof that consistency, community, and creativity make a powerful combo in Fort Bend and Greater Houston.
Seats fill quickly—especially for campuses with high demand for transpor-
tation. Secure your child’s spot today.
Fast Facts (Share with a Friend)
Who: Students ages 5–13 with a love for dance and the arts
What: Daily after-school arts + academics with transportation to FBAAD
Where: FBAAD studios (transported from school)
Why: To build skill, confidence, discipline—and a lifelong love for the arts
How: Register at FBAAD.com | Scholarships available
Houston Style Magazine salutes the Edison Arts Foundation for turning afternoons into art-filled, achievement-ready experiences for our young Houstonians. See you at registration—and at the next standing ovation.
Two chances to plug into Houston’s creative heartbeat. This September, Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) invites the city to meet the team shaping our civic art future—and then come back dressed to dazzle for a night that fuels the arts all year long. Mark both on your calendar and bring a friend: one builds community; the other powers it.
HAA Meet & Greet + Fireside Chat Theme: Shaping the Future Together
At this free community gathering, you’ll meet HAA’s leadership and hear what’s next for grants, civic art, and artist support across Houston. The evening caps with a lively fireside conversation featuring new CEO Taylor Jackson and Director of Civic Art Grace Zuñiga—a perfect primer on how public art and local grants translate into neighborhood vibrancy.
If You Go
• When: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 4:00–7:00 p.m. CT
• Cost: FREE and open to the public (RSVP required due to capacity; one RSVP per person/email)
• Vibe: Come-as-you-are networking with artists, arts administrators, and culture
HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE LIGHTS UP SEPTEMBER: COMMUNITY MEET-&-GREET + “LUMINESCENCE” GALA
By Francis Page, Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
lovers
• Why swing by: Program updates, HAA team intros, and a community-building mixer in a historic venue RSVP / Info: info@haatx.com | 713-527-9330 (Mon–Fri, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.)
Houston Arts Allianc
Gala 2025 Luminescence
Date Night for a Cause. HAA’s signature celebration returns to the stunning Thompson Hotel with an art-forward evening that spotlights local creatives and
honors community champions. Your ticket directly supports the privately funded programs that keep HAA nimble—like quarterly Arts Community Meetings, public education and advocacy events, and the Disaster Services Program that helps artists and organizations prepare for (and recover from) crises.
• Honorees: Commissioner Lesley Briones; Anita & Gerald Smith
• Expect: Original works by Houston artists, elevated cuisine, specialty beverages, and generous company—all in support of Houston’s creative ecosystem Tickets / Sponsorships: For avail-
ability and table details, contact info@ haatx.com or 713-527-9330.
Why These Two Events Matter
HAA is the City of Houston’s nonprofit partner for arts grantmaking and civic art investments (in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs). Beyond city-funded initiatives, HAA’s privately supported programs—research, disaster preparation, and community convenings—help artists and nonprofits be bold, productive, and strong. September’s Meet & Greet invites you into the process; the Gala ensures that work thrives.
Quick Contacts
Houston Arts Alliance 5280 Caroline St., Suite 100, Houston, TX 77004 info@haatx.com | 713-527-9330 | Hours: Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–5 p.m
Zsavon Butler & Nicholas Stuart HAA Gala Co Chairs
GREAT EDUCAT RS THE HEART OF LEARNING STARTS WITH
Nominate a deserving teacher, counselor, principal, early childhood learning center, school board or school district.
Created in 2002, the H‑E‑B Excellence in Education Awards was designed to honor and thank outstanding public school professionals. Through this program, H‑E‑B awards over $780,000 annually to deserving educators who go the extra mile to serve their students and communities.
To submit a nomination or application, go to HEBLovesTeachers.com
