The All-Nighters
Some of the season’s hottest looks are inspired by work clothes with an edgy ’80s vibe. Suit up sexy, work late if you have to, and, by all means, take care of business.
Sep. 19, 2017
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.
HOUSTON CITYBOOK’S INFAMOUS “Sexy Party,” presented by Indigo Auto Group in celebration of the magazine’s annual “Sexy Issue,” drew a fun crowd to EaDo’s Chapman & Kirby bar and event space.
Per the custom, the highlight of the party was a semi-scandalous fashion show featuring swimwear, underwear and lingerie, produced by Todd Ramos with hair and makeup by Edward Sanchez and his team. Male and female models from the Page Parkes agency, a longtime CityBook partner, strutted the hip bar in sometimes revealing looks by clothiers including Top Drawer Lingerie, Leather by Val, Manready Mercantile and Manbuns.
Chapman & Kirby servers handed out delicious bites including miniature beef Wellingtons. And bartenders mixed up special cocktails for the occasion such as mango margaritas, smoked Old Fashioneds and espresso martinis, thanks in part to generous spirits sponsors Cazadores tequila, Angels Envy bourbon and Grey Goose vodka. Wine and sparkling wine also flowed.
Magazine editor Jeff Gremillion welcomed about 200 guests, including Valen Custer and her Brazilian fiancé Vitor Villar, the real-life model couple who appeared in the 2024 Sexy Issue’s racy fashion shoot. “People always marvel at how attractive the crowd is at the Sexy Party,” Gremillion brags. “I guess we stack the deck a bit, when we make sure our hottest models turn up!”
As presenting sponsor of the Sexy Issue and co-host of the bodacious bash, Indigo displayed fabulous cars out front for guests to consider renting. Lamborghini or Rolls Royce, anyone?
CityBook’s Sexy Issue, with its provocative fashion imagery, has been a staple of summer in Houston since the magazine launched in 2016.
Lindsay Yates and Brian Ching
Jason Clayden and Aaron Matthews
Thy Mitchell
Valen Custer and Vitor Villar
Jazmin Porter
Addison Freeman and Amanda Pascali
A Page Parkes model during the fashion show
David Croatto, Valeria Croatto, Lukkaew Arasrisuwan, Krystal Hatchett
Rosendo Mendoza, Joshua Schirmer, Nicholas Guidry
Tyler Treadwell, Joshua T. Dada and Shawn Harris
A Page Parkes model during the fashion show
Tom Hedge, Lety Turullols and Andrea Oliver
Magen Pastor and Rene Garza
Anisa Hoxha
A Page Parkes model during the fashion show
Maricela Olivo, Dieter Lehman and Ashley Escobar
Richard Hester and Mary Patton
Jeff Jacobitz and Chris Casey
A Page Parkes model during the fashion show
Greta Connolly and Steven Rodriguez
Karen Parker, Michael Gilg
Mitchell Greco, Todd Ramos, Brandon Weinbrenner
A Page Parkes model during the fashion show
Demitri Benson and Nicholas Glenn
A Page Parkes model during the fashion show
Lisa Gochman and Chris Beverly
Van Morris and Patrick Curphey
WITH A GOAL of ensuring access to quality healthcare for underserved families in Houston’s East End, El Centro de Corazón has been making a difference for 30 years. Its annual Making a Difference luncheon, this year chaired by Vicky Dominguez with honorary chairs Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman and Leila Perrin, raised more than $150,000.
Emceed by Cyndy Garza Roberts, the River Oaks Country Club affair honored Michele Leal Farrah for her commitment to El Centro and similar causes all over Houston. The organization’s CEO, Marcie Mir, thanked supporters and shared why El Centro must still expand its services to reach more Houston residents. Notably, 74 percent of El Centro’s 12,000-plus patients live at or below federal poverty level ($31K annually for a family of four) and more than half are uninsured.
Then Stephanie Ramos gave the keynote address; the ABC News correspondent and Army Reserve Major spoke about channeling inner strength to make a bigger impact.
Andrea Godea, Larry Savala, Amalia Savala
Sippi Khurana and Donae Chramosta
Blanca Lopez, Julie Garza, Hoda Sana
Shelley Ludwick and Elvia Taylor
Elizabeth Ramos, Marcie Mir and Michele Leal
Esmeralda De la Cruz, Lorena Gomez, Vicky Dominguez
Neena Arora, Diana Grair, Kavon Young
Maria Smith, Diana Ospina
Mari Trevino Glass and Cinthya Reade
Evelyn Leightman, George Connelly, Helen Perry
George and Michele Farah
Lisa Wilmore, George Connelly
German Ibañez, Melanie Rodriguez
Linda Flores Olson, Vicki Luna, Graciana Garces, Jorge Gonzalez
Jan Mendenhall, Xochitl Ljuboja, Miriam Zatarain
Jolene Trevino and Vicki Luna
John Cisneros, Marco Perez
Lisa Wilmore, Ed Emmett and Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman