Member News

The U.S. Army has chosen Bell to build a new aircraft that will replace the venerable UH-60 Black Hawk, which has been flying soldiers in combat since the 1970s.

Bell received a $232 million contract on Monday—the first installment of what could be a $7.1 billion deal for development and an initial batch of aircraft.

“It’s a chance to move to the next step in this vital program,” Doug Bush, the Army acquisition chief, said during a Monday evening call with reporters.

It’s a huge win that could be worth more than $70 billion for the Textron-owned company in the coming decades depending on how many aircraft are ordered by the Army and foreign militaries.

“For Textron, it is a generational win that rejuvenates Bell's military franchise,” Cowen analyst Roman Schweizer wrote in an Oct. 12 note to investors.

Bell, which pitched the V-280, a tiltrotor aircraft similar to the V-22 Osprey, beat a Sikorsky-Boeing team that had proposed a coaxial helicopter, which uses two stack rotors that spin in opposite directions providing more stability than traditional helicopters.

The tiltrotor can takeoff and land vertically like a helicopter, but rotate its propellers forward allowing it to fly at fixed-wing aircraft speeds.

“The V-280’s unmatched combination of proven tiltrotor technology coupled with innovative digital engineering and an open architecture offers the Army outstanding operational versatility for its vertical lift fleet,” Bell said in an emailed statement.

The contract awarded Monday is for a “virtual prototype,” not an actual aircraft, Army officials said. An initial prototype could come in 2025, but the Army would need to award additional contracts before that happens, officials said.

Army officials touted the speed in which the award was made, saying it has been accelerated by some four years. Over the past nine years, both bidders built and flew demonstrators of their proposals.

“We have taken new authorities from Congress, we have melded them with a very thoughtful, very deliberate approach in terms of trying out things before we proceed and doing things in terms of the program structure to allow us to move at greater speed than originally planned to get this capability in the hands of soldiers,” Bush said.

Officials declined to give specific reasons why they chose Bell over Sikorsky-Boeing other than the Bell proposal was the “best value.”

The losing companies have three days to request a debriefing from the Army about their decision. After that briefing they have the option to protest the Army decision. If they do protest, the Government Accountability Office would conduct a review and make a ruling.

“We remain confident DEFIANT X is the transformational aircraft the U.S. Army requires to accomplish its complex missions today and well into the future,” Sikorsky and Boeing said in a joint statement. “We will evaluate our next steps after reviewing feedback from the Army.”

Bell first unveiled the V-280 in 2013. Unlike its predecessor the V-22, the engines at the end of its wing are fixed, a move that is supposed to lower maintenance costs.

The Army calls the replacement deal the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft, or FLRAA.

“We expect initial FLRAA buy to be 750-1K, and mixed fleet of FLRAA + UH-60 for decades,” Schweizer wrote in an Oct. 12 note to investors.

Article written by defenseone.com

ARLINGTON, Texas – Nov. 7, 2022 – The Miriam Johnson Scholarship from Texas Trust Gives Foundation was awarded to four students of Paul Quinn College (PQC).

PQC distributed $10,000 to four undergraduate students for their 2022-2023 tuition in honor of Mrs. Johnson, late wife of Texas Trust board member Joe Johnson. She earned her Practical Nursing License during the early years of the Civil Rights Movement.

The scholarship recipients are:

Sophomore Joseph Adeniran, a native of Nigeria, is majoring in business with plans to attend law school following his undergrad work at PQC. He is part of the Honda Campus All-Stars Challenge team, an Upward Bound program volunteer, and competitive athlete.

Freshman Cameron Baker, a health and wellness major from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, plans to go to medical school to become an OB/GYN after graduating from PQC.

Aliayah Robinson, a Sophomore from Gary, Indiana, is an early childhood education major and member of the PQC President’s Academic list.

Melissa Hernandez from DeSoto will graduate this fall from PQC with an education degree. She plans to teach second grade at Uplift White Rock Preparatory school, where she has been a substitute teacher while attending school. While at PQC she has been active in the Student Government Association, the Scholars program, and part the women’s soccer team.

This is the third year for the Miriam Johnson Scholarship. As Texas Trust board member Joe Johnson notes, “Miriam worked in the medical profession for more than 40 years. She strongly believed in higher education and would be honored to help these college students achieve their degrees.”

High resolution images of the scholarship recipients can be downloaded here.
About Texas Trust Gives Foundation
The Texas Trust Gives Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to touching hearts and changing lives. It is the charitable arm for Texas Trust Credit Union, a $2 billion financial institution. The foundation provides scholarships to local high school students, awards charitable grants, and organizes volunteer efforts through the Community Unity Team for local community events.

Carencia Mental Healthcare participated in the DFW Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention walk at Choctaw Stadium, hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (ASFP). Hundreds of participants from throughout the metroplex walked in the rain on October 29th by the Cowboys and Rangers stadiums, in an effort to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention.
Carencia compiled a team of over 25 walkers from Arlington-consisting of medical/dental/mental health providers, patients, business partners, and friends- who all feel strongly about the importance of mental health. In total, the Carencia Team raised over $3,000 to go directly to mental health education and awareness initiatives through the AFSP, placing them #10 out of 220 teams in DFW for fundraising total.

Arlington, Texas – November 2, 2022 – More than 340 Employees of Texas Trust Credit Union spent a day building beds for the Fort Worth chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

To celebrate being able to hold its all-hands employee rally for the first time since the pandemic began, Texas Trust employees enjoyed a day of camaraderie while building 50 hand-made beds that will be donated to local children. The idea is that “no kid sleeps on the floor.”

The event was held under large tents in the parking lot of the Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie, which gave employees plenty of room to spread out and work. Employees worked in groups at several assembly stations to build the hand-crafted beds.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace provided the materials and tools along with training and supervision. In addition to their work, Texas Trust employees donated comforters, sheet sets, and pillows that each child will receive when the new bed and mattress are delivered.

“This event helped us realize that there are children in our community who really don’t have a comfortable place to sleep each night,” said Jim Minge, CEO of Texas Trust Credit Union. “A comfortable bed is a basic need that most of us take for granted.”

Minge added, “Building these beds gave all of our employees an opportunity to put our people helping people philosophy to work and provide a meaningful service to our community.”

Video footage from the Texas Trust volunteer project for Sleep in Heavenly Peace is available to share and download here. High resolution images shown above can be downloaded here.

About Texas Trust Credit Union
Texas Trust Credit Union has been helping build brighter financial futures since its modest beginning in 1936. Today, the full-service credit union serves more than 133,000 members. With assets of more than $2 billion, Texas Trust is the 6th largest credit union in North Texas and the 17th largest in Texas. With a focus on the community, Texas Trust is creating a legacy of giving through generous financial donations that support local school programs and activities, non-profit organizations, and student scholarships; and by providing volunteer resources through its Community Unity team, which supports scores of charitable events each year. For more information, visit TexasTrustCU.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/texastrustcu or Twitter at @texastrustcu.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released the latest update to the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) and designated the Arlington Municipal Airport (KGKY) as a National Airport.

“The designation of National Airport in the NPIAS validates the current operational climate and based aircraft tenants utilizing the vast services provided at Arlington Municipal Airport. Obtaining the designation increases the amount of formula funding earmarked in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 for our airport and enhances our project competitiveness for additional federal funding,” Airport Manager Trent Ballard said.

The Arlington Municipal Airport is one of 14 National Airports in Texas and one of 107 National Airports in the United States.

In the last four years, several development projects have been completed, including a 37,000-square-foot executive hangar for corporate aircraft. ATP, the nation’s largest flight school, also constructed a 13,875-square-foot, purpose-built facility to streamline training through their Airline Career Pilot Program.

Several projects are planned in the future including drainage improvements on the south end, a master plan update, aircraft parking apron expansion, and an additional executive box hangar complex. The development estimate for Arlington Municipal Airport over the next five years is roughly $59 million.

 Park Place Promotional Imprints (Park Place Promo) has launched as a full-service commercial printing solution for businesses in the United States. Operating as a sister company of the Texas-based commercial energy brokerage firm Park Place Power, Park Place Promo aims to help businesses save time and money through its 100% in-house fulfillment services, customizable client dashboards, and state-of-the-art machinery.

The NMSDC-certified (National Minority Supplier Development Council) minority business looks to prioritize client satisfaction and ease of service as it begins operations in October. The online store will offer t-shirts, caps, fleeces, polos, and performance tees in a variety of fabrics and sizes. Park Place Promo will primarily fulfill large-scale orders from corporations, charitable organizations, co-op groups, businesses in the hospitality sector, universities, and other educational institutions.

Personalizing the Experience

With Park Place Promotional Imprints, the customer journey goes far beyond a mere merchandise order. Park Place Promo serves as an extension of its customers' teams, providing consultation services and advising on aspects such as logo design, copywriting, strategic placement, and distribution. With the ability to upload invoices and make requests directly off the company website, as well as the ability to meet face-to-face with the Park Place Promo team for collaboration sessions, customers can maximize the personalization potential of each individual order.

"We aren't order-takers. Rather, we view ourselves as consultants who work with our clients to create high-quality designs and branded apparel," said Clarence Robinson, CEO and founder of Park Place Promo. "We create walking billboards and provide our clients with peace of mind. They know that they are getting access to premium equipment and best-in-class service when they are working with us."

Robinson, who is also the CEO and founder of Park Place Power, saw a rise in inquiries from his clients regarding quality embroidery and imprinting services. He noticed how many of the vendors in the commercial apparel embroidery space were plagued by poor material quality, low low thread counts on embroidery, high drop ship costs, ineffective customer service, complex ordering systems, and poor order tracking and order history dashboards.

With the launch of Park Place Promo, Robinson hopes to offer a seamless ordering experience and provide his clients with products and customer service that cannot be matched by any competitors in the industry.

"My passion is helping to simplify processes, remove confusion, and save my clients money. I do this by listening to the market and being hyper-attentive to pain points," said Robinson.

To learn more about Park Place Promotional Imprints and its quality catalog of promotional products, please visit https://www.parkplacepromo.com/.

About Park Place Promotional Imprints 

Park Place Promotional Imprints (Park Place Promo) is a local imprinting and embroidering company in Texas providing end-to-end printing solutions to all types of businesses. From design to in-house printing, Park Place Promo strives to maintain quality and provide timely deliveries on a consistent basis. With state-of-art machinery, a dedicated customer service team, and the most competitive pricing available on the market, Park Place Promo is the premiere destination for organizations looking to place bulk orders of premium branded apparel.

— Six Medical City Healthcare hospitals are participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. The hospitals will join with local law enforcement agencies hosting drug take back events on Saturday, October 29 to raise awareness about the dangers of opioid and drug misuse and proper disposal of medications.

Community members are invited to safely and anonymously dispose of unused or expired prescription or over-the-counter medications at drive-thru locations on October 29 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at:

• Medical City Arlington (Main entrance)
  3301 Matlock Road, Arlington, TX 76015
• Medical City Dallas (Building A2 entrance)
  7777 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230
• Medical City Denton (Professional building entrance)
  3537 S. I-35E, Denton, TX 76210
• Medical City Frisco (Main entrance)
  5500 Frisco Square Blvd, Frisco, TX 75034
• Medical City Las Colinas (Main entrance)
  6800 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75039
• Medical City McKinney (Patient tower entrance)
  4500 Medical Center Dr., McKinney, TX 75069

In 2021, there were more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is nearly a 15% increase in drug-related deaths from 2020.

“Medical City Healthcare hospitals have seen firsthand the devastating consequences of drug misuse and abuse,” says Medical City Healthcare Chief Medical Officer Joseph Parra, MD. “As a leading healthcare provider in North Texas, we believe it is vital to increase awareness of this important issue and offer our community a safe way to dispose of medications to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.”

Law enforcement officers from the Arlington, Dallas, Denton, Frisco, Irving and McKinney Police Departments will be on-site to collect any unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications. Needles, syringes, lancets and illegal drugs will not be accepted.

Medical City Healthcare is participating in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day as part of its and HCA Healthcare’s year-round “Crush the Crisis” drug take back program. This will be the fourth year that HCA Healthcare and its hospitals have supported the DEA’s Drug Take Back Day. In October 2021, 96 HCA Healthcare facilities in 17 states collected 15,566 pounds of unused and expired medications at  events across the country. Medical City Healthcare hospitals collected 3,400 pounds of medications over the past year at both the drug take back events and from permanent drug take back boxes located at 12 Medical City Healthcare hospitals. The permanent boxes, which are compliant with DEA regulations, can be accessed free of charge, any day of the year – not just on a specific drug take back day.

To further help combat the nation’s opioid crisis, HCA Healthcare, the parent company of Medical City Healthcare, proudly partners with and provides clinical insight to the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. HCA Healthcare has committed $750,000 to the Collaborative to support the development of safer pain management protocols and the reversal of the opioid crisis.

As a learning health system, HCA Healthcare uses data from approximately 32 million annual patient encounters to help continuously improve care. The organization uses the science of “big data” to reduce opioid misuse and transform pain management, with initiatives in surgical, emergency and other care settings.

To learn more about Medical City Healthcare’s Drug Take Back Program, including events on October 29, or to find the location of a permanent drug take back box that is part of Medical City Healthcare’s ongoing efforts to “Crush the Crisis,” visit: https://medicalcityhealthcare.com/DrugTakeBack.

About Medical City Healthcare
Committed to the care and improvement of human life, Medical City Healthcare strives to deliver excellence always, providing high-quality healthcare in the communities it serves. With the resources and strength of HCA Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of quality healthcare services with 186 hospitals in the United States and England, Medical City Healthcare is one of the North Texas region’s largest and most comprehensive healthcare providers. It includes 16 hospitals with 3,696 licensed beds, nearly 5,000 active physicians, 6,000 nurses, 17,000 employees, 12 ambulatory surgery centers, 4 off-campus emergency rooms and 47 CareNow Urgent Care clinics. Three Medical City Healthcare hospitals are accredited comprehensive stroke centers, 10 hospitals “A” safety-rated by the Leapfrog Group and 6 hold prestigious Magnet Recognized^® designations on 10 campuses from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Inaugural Class will be Honored on November 17

Arlington, Texas – October 13, 2022 – The Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce announced its inaugural 40 Under 40 class. Texas Trust Credit Union is honored that its executive director of the Texas Trust Gives Foundation, Washima Huq, is part of this aspiring leadership class.

Huq is actively involved in a number of community and civic organizations outside of her duties managing the Texas Trust Gives Foundation, where she oversees the charitable giving of the $1.8 billion credit union.

Huq serves on advisory boards and committees for the Asian Business Council, the Greater Arlington Chamber of Commerce, the Cooper Street YMCA, Arlington Women’s Alliance, Mansfield ISD Superintendent’s Advisory Council, and Cornerstone League’s Young Professionals Group.

Earlier this year, Huq was named the 2022 Rising Star by the Greater Arlington Chamber’s Women’s Alliance. She has also received a number of other professional awards, including being named the Cornerstone League Young Professional of the Year in 2021.

“Washima is driven to make a difference and is determined to succeed,” said Ginia Chapline, COO of Texas Trust Credit Union. “She proactively pursues initiatives and community involvement where she can learn, lead, and lift others up, so that everyone can achieve their goals and dreams.”

The recipients of this year’s 40 Under 40 class will be honored at an event November 17. They will also be featured in the November issue of Arlington Today.

About Texas Trust Credit Union
Texas Trust Credit Union has been helping build brighter financial futures since its modest beginning in 1936. Today, the full-service credit union serves more than 133,000 members. With assets of more than $1.8 billion, Texas Trust is the 6th largest credit union in North Texas and the 17th largest in Texas. With a focus on the community, Texas Trust is creating a legacy of giving through generous financial donations that support local school programs and activities, non-profit organizations, and student scholarships; and by providing volunteer resources through its Community Unity team, which supports scores of charitable events each year. For more information, visit TexasTrustCU.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/texastrustcu or Twitter at @texastrustcu.

We are thrilled to report that Terry Ip, of Terry Ip Photography in Arlington, has been distinguished by the Annual International Photo Competition earning merits on three image submissions.

The Annual International Photo Competition is a prestigious contest organized by the Professional Photographers of America. The twelve elements that depict mastery in professional photography and qualify images for merits are: Impact, Technical Excellence, Creativity, Style, Composition, Presentation, Color Balance, Center of Interest, Lighting, Subject Matter, Technique and Storytelling.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Sept. 26, 2022 – Jim Minge, CEO of Texas Trust Credit Union, was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Downtown Arlington Management Corporation (DAMC). Texas Trust has been a premier partner of the DAMC since 2016 and creator of the DAMC’s annual Dream Builder award.

Minge is active in the city of Arlington, serving on various civic and community boards and contributing to making downtown Arlington a destination for local residents and out-of-town visitors.

“Downtown Arlington has become a vibrant community again with a mix of retail boutiques, restaurants, cultural events, and new residential developments,” Minge said. “It’s a privilege to serve on the DAMC Board with other business and community leaders who are doing their part to revitalize downtown Arlington.”

The DAMC has a number of high-profile development projects underway, particularly the expansion of Urban Union with a 21,000-square-foot, two-story office building – the first of its kind and scale in downtown Arlington in decades. Other projects include the second phase of Main 7, a luxury townhome villa development; the Mineral Well Fountain Clock Tower; and the new downtown fire station.

“Texas Trust has a genuine interest in making downtown Arlington a thriving and enjoyable place to shop, work, visit, and live,” said Maggie Campbell, President and CEO of the Downtown Arlington Management Corporation. “We are honored that Jim has joined the board and look forward to his contributions as we bring the Downtown Arlington master plan to fruition.”

About the DAMC
The Downtown Arlington Management Corporation is a private, non-profit community development organization whose purpose is to forge alliances between property owners, business interests, residents and the City of Arlington to improve and enhance the economic vitality and overall environment of Downtown Arlington.

About Texas Trust Credit Union
Texas Trust Credit Union has been helping build brighter financial futures since its modest beginning in 1936. Today, the full-service credit union serves more than 133,000 members. With assets of more than $1.8 billion, Texas Trust is the 6th largest credit union in North Texas and the 17th largest in Texas. With a focus on the community, Texas Trust is creating a legacy of giving through generous financial donations that support local school programs and activities, non-profit organizations, and student scholarships; and by providing volunteer resources through its Community Unity team, which supports scores of charitable events each year. For more information, visit TexasTrustCU.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/texastrustcu or Twitter at @texastrustcu.

Meet students with knowledge and skills in these degree areas!

Aerospace- Architectural-Biomedical- Civil- Computer Engineering – Computer Science - Construction Management-Electrical-Engineering Management - Industrial- Materials Science -Systems- Mechanical- Software

IN-PERSON

Tuesday, September 20, 10am-3pm

Maverick Activity Center (MAC) 500 W. Nedderman Drive Arlington TX 76019

Exhibitors receive 6’ table and chairs, lunch for two company representatives and an opportunity to speak with students from a Texas Tier One university!

Positive Actions International in partnership with Councilwoman Nikkie Hunter and Texas Trust Bank are sponsoring a Suicide Prevention Mental Health Panel Discussion on September 7, 2022 from 5:30-7:pm at Bob Duncan Center in Arlington, TX.

Together for Mental Health brings leaders across the community, including City Mayor Jim Ross, Judge Mary Tom Cravens Curnutt, Dr. James Lugo, Commissioner Andy Nguyen, Dr. Kenyon Godwin, Dr. Von Peak, and Licensed Professional Counselor, Esther Scott, to join efforts to highlight the importance of mental health during Suicide Prevention Month in September.

This mental health panel discussion will provide community members an opportunity to talk about an important issue that can impact all of us as a community, while learning to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and crises experienced by loved ones.

After the last two years of pandemic living, increasing inflation and the tragic events we have experienced as a global community, for many people stress, and uncertainty have taken a toll on their well-being. “We applaud the leaders and organizations in our community for their commitment to bring light to this important topic and look forward to working with them.” Said Esther Scott licensed professional counselor and director for Positive Actions International.

This mental health panel discussion is made possible due in part to funding provided by the Texas Trust Credit Union. Don’t miss this event. For more information and additional resources, visit www.positiveactionsinternational.com or send an email to nikkie.hunter@arlingtontx.gov or positiveactionsinternational@gmail.com

The CAP® credential is for financial and nonprofit professionals focused on the best strategies for philanthropic planning. In addition to mastering the financial details involved in different forms of charitable giving, CAP® designees gain critical interpersonal skills needed to guide clients and donors from philanthropic aspiration to positive social impact.

When you earn the CAP® designation, you’ll gain expertise in:

• Applying the best tax strategies, tools, and techniques for charitable giving.

• Understanding client or donor goals for self, family, and/or society and putting together holistic financial strategies that meet those goals in the most impactful way possible.

• Advising wealthy families on important financial matters, including business exit planning, estate planning, and legacy planning.

• Handling gift-planning for nonprofits, including developing six- to eight-figure gifts from high-capacity donors.

• Serving Baby Boomers already over 70 and older adults who want to give back during retirement.

• Using financial skills and philanthropic planning to make a positive difference in communities and in the world.

ARLINGTON – LaSharndra “Sharn” Barbarin, CEO of Medical City Arlington,  was honored by the Dallas Business Journal on August 25 as one of 25 Women in Business Awards recipients.

Now in its 15th year, the Women in Business Awards program highlights decision-makers across DFW who have shaped the business community. The prestigious award is given to 25 women who go above and beyond in the business and community sectors. Trailblazers across a variety of industries, including key executives and C-suite leaders at some of the nation’s and region's largest and fastest-growing organizations were highlighted for their achievements in the workplace and beyond.

Known for her servant leadership and community commitment, Barbarin is highly regarded by the area’s business community for her inspiring leadership style, strategic thinking, drive for results, passion for people and ability to select and develop leadership talent.

When asked about the best advice she would share with other up-and-coming female leaders, Barbarin offers this advice: “Tap into your authenticity early. Identify both mentors and sponsors within your industry and don’t restrict yourself to only female mentors/sponsors.”

Barbarin was promoted to chief executive officer at Medical City Arlington after seven years as CEO at Medical City Lewisville. She was recognized in 2020 by the Dallas Business Journal as an outstanding minority business leader and serves on the board of directors for the DFW Hospital Council, the Medical City Healthcare and HCA Healthcare Diversity and Inclusion Councils,  and numerous community organizations.

On Aug. 25, the Dallas Business Journal honored its 2022 Women in Business Awards cohort.  Read the Dallas Business Journal article on Sharn Barbarin.