Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Ron Powers gave an emotional speech about his family’s struggles with mental illness at the Hope and Healing Center & Institute’s Chrysalis Award luncheon. … Career and Recovery Resources’ Barrier Breaker Award lunch, honoring Ed and Gwen Emmett and Philamena and Arthur Baird, raised more than $250K. … A lively Sunday brunch at the Four Seasons doubled as a fundraiser for the Great Age Movement, which promotes learning and socialization among seniors. Jazz performances and ballroom dancing dazzled the crowd of 200. … Designer David Peck and his wife chaired the Judy’s Mission Possible lunch at the Houstonian, raising funds for early-detection and ovarian cancer research at MD Anderson. … The Latin Women’s Initiative’s annual fashion show lunch was as festive as ever, featuring designs by Andrés Otálora — and tequila shots. … At River Oaks Country Club, the Mayor’s Literacy Breakfast honored the Houston Dynamo and Dash teams.
Thrive & Inspire: At Orion, O’Brien and Patel's Focus Is ‘Families We Transport Every Day’
DESCRIBE YOUR HIGHLIGHT of 2022. A continuation of our values, our leadership within the industry and the commitment to quality that our customers have come to expect. We remain on a growth trajectory within Houston and are happy to continue to expand our customer base by providing quality care.
How did you lead through Covid and adapt for success? As an EMS company, any public health emergency places us squarely in the spotlight. While this may seem daunting, being ready and able to handle any medical needs for our community is a pillar of ORION. Our friends and neighbors were hurting, and we made a commitment to be there for them, just as we have for the last 15 years. During these last two years, ORION’s leadership team ensured that our medical personnel were fully trained on the latest guidelines in patient care, and we frequently consulted with the leading medical and government authorities. The core mission of ORION did not change: to provide professional, compassionate medical care to every patient.
How did your career journey lead you to EMS? Throughout my life, I have challenged the status quo of various industries. To me, the most insidious thought for any organization is, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” In my career, I’ve consistently rejected the concept that an organization has reached its ceiling of potential impact. Having owned several businesses, my primary strategy has been to identify new efficient and customer-friendly ways to function. My decision to enter EMS was no different; I saw an industry that was too crowded (from a competition standpoint) and barely acknowledging the needs of the people it was supposed to be serving. I founded ORION to be the premier EMS company in Houston by returning the focus of our work to where it should always be — the families that we transport every day.
What’s “the end game” for ORION? The “end” is also our “beginning”: our staff and our patients. Every decision I make with our leadership team is focused on providing the best medical care possible in every transport. We are providing the Houston region with safe, reliable care for their loved ones while showing the public, and the EMS industry, what an ambulance service should be.
Describe ORION’s “win-win strategy” in the community. Our strategy centers on people — our staff, our hospital clients, and our patients. The EMS industry is so unique because, by definition, people come to us at difficult moments. ORION has a reputation for not only the quality of care we provide, but in the kindness and empathy shown by each employee. We would not have existed in this industry for as long as we have without being a bright light for the people of Houston when they need us.
What are your favorite aspects of your team? Without question, my favorite aspect is that ORION’s leadership team is entirely “homegrown.” Beginning with Vice President Sumi Patel, every senior leader started their career with ORION at a different level and has earned promotion to their current role. Those shared experiences create exceptionally strong bonds between us, and it ensures that we come to work focused on the same goals each day. Sumi has been standing with me since the beginning of ORION 15 years ago, and her commitment to excellence is, truly, unparalleled.
What makes you excited for 2023? The year 2023 is shaping up to have the same dynamic aspects that impact all EMS companies across the industry. We are excited that our stability in the marketplace, the leadership that guides our company and our continued quality of service will carry us through any challenges that may arise.
FOR THE SEVENTH time, Houston CityBook is heating up the dog days of summer with its annual Sexy Issue, hitting newsstands and mailboxes all over Houston now.
With a special partnership with presenting sponsor Indigo Auto Group, the new issue features a roundup of hot shops, restaurant and current cultural events, as well as the cover story — a racy fashion shoot, per the custom.
The revealing fashion spread, shot on location as Hotel ZaZa in the Museum District, for the first time features a real-life couple as models. Highly in-demand model Valen Custer recruited her fiancé, Brazilian hunk Vitor Villar, to join her in front of the camera. Shot by photographer Steven Visneau and styled by Todd Ramos, the story highlights stylish lingerie, underwear, swimwear and a preview of fall looks.
“Don’t blame me if the fashion images are a little extra spicy this year,” Editor-in-Chief Jeff Gremillion half-jokes. “Our models were terrific pros, up for anything, and they couldn’t keep their hands off each other!”
CityBook Creative Director Patrick Magee oversaw the project. Edward Sanchez, a frequent collaborator with the magazine, returned to run hair and makeup.
The issue also includes Managing Editor Evan W. Black’s report on the ups and downs of the Houston real estate market, with special attention to timely trends, including the increasing popularity to homes with built-in generators. Mid-Summer travel pieces — an ultra-luxurious resort in The Maldives and remote boutique getway in Costa Rica — are also on offer.
At the end of summer, CityBook’s Sexy Party, promoting the Sexy Issue, will return.
2017 Sexy Issue cover photographed by Steven Visneau at a private home in Memorial
2018 Sexy Issue cover photographed by Steven Visneau at the most expensive home on the market in Houston at the time
2019 Sexy Issue cover photographed by Steven Visneau at a private home in Memorial
2021 Sexy Issue cover photographed by Steven Visneau at Heights House Hotel
2022 Sexy Issue cover photographed by Jhane Hoang at Four Seasons Hotel New Orleans
2023 Sexy Issue cover photographed by Steven Visneau at La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio
New Restaurants — Including an Exciting Revival — Bolster Westheimer Curve's Foodie-Friendly Rep
LONGTIME HOUSTON FOODIES likely remember Mi Luna as a Rice Village mainstay, serving late-night tapas and wine on University Blvd. for years. Now, the original owner has plans to revive the Spanish restaurant, this time in the Montrose Collective development on the Westheimer Curve.
Youssef Nafaa says he "decided to resurrect Mi Luna after realizing that the Spanish tapas concept is not authentically represented in Houston," and that the new location in Montrose presented the perfect opportunity. The ground-floor, corner restaurant will span nearly 4,000 square feet, including a raised platform stage for live music and flamenco dancing, plus a spacious patio facing Crocker Street.
Expect a strong seafood influence on the opening menu, in addition to old favorites like the Paella Valenciana and Pulpo con Patatas. The weekend brunch crowd will likely be strong, enjoying acoustic guitar music and sangria pitchers all day long.
Nearby, the former La Grange location will soon become Melrose, a "cocktail and bites" destination featuring a menu from James Beard-nominated Emmanuel Chavez of Tatemó. Army Sadeghi of Clarkwood, Brandon Duliakas of Fox Restaurant Concepts, and Dan Wierck of Clutch each bring tremendous experience to the new project, which will open this fall.
The owners were excited by the building's history; built in the 1930s, it was for four decades a LGBT dive bar called EJ's before becoming the Tex-Mex patio bar La Grange. Next up will be a high-style, Old Hollywood-glam lounge with nods to Montrose's "bohemian charm," per a release. Melrose's two-level patio will tout a new, large central tree "as a shady focal point and an extension of the interior’s more loungey feel, with seating vignettes anchored around the existing covered bar and koi pond, as well as new fire features."
As for the drinks, there will be around two dozen signature cocktails with seasonal ingredients, punch-bowl-style beverages, and a "proprietary ice program."
Mi Luna interior rendering by Agustin Fata
Mi Luna exterior rendering by Agustin Fata