[City Pulse]
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I'M TRAVIS LEMONS, AND IT'S SPRINGTIME IN HOUSTON.
THAT MEANS OUR CARS ARE COVERED WITH POLLEN, BUT IT ALSO MEANS IT'S TIME TO RODEO.
AND SINCE EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS, LET'S GO TO NRG PARK.
AS MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER HONORS THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES, AND EVERY YEAR I AM PLEASED TO BE A PART OF THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO'S ANNUAL EFFORTS EACH YEAR TO HONOR THE HUNDREDS OF BRAVE MILITARY SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN AND HONOR THEIR SACRIFICE THAT THEY HAVE MADE FOR THEIR COUNTRY.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND THANK YOU TO THE HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO, AS WELL AS HOUSTONIANS.
WE MUST WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND OUR SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, SUPPORTING THEM THROUGH THEIR DEPLOYMENTS AND WHEN THEY RETURN HOME, THE RECEPTION THAT WE GOT FROM, FROM THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, THE MEMBERS OF THE RODEO, UH, AND, AND THE APPRECIATION THAT THEY SHOW TO THE, UH, THE ARMED FORCES OF AMERICA.
JUST AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE ALTOGETHER.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING READY TO SWEAR IN, TO DEFEND, I MEAN, IT JUST, JUST SEND SEALS THROUGH YOUR BODY, YOU KNOW, UH, KNOWING THAT WE STILL HAVE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WANNA RAISE THEIR HAND AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THEMSELVES IN HARM'S WAY.
RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND BOARD OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES, THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
LOVES HOW HOUSTON SHOWS UP FOR THE RODEO.
I THINK I EVEN SAW HIM RIDING A HORSE AROUND CITY HALL.
DRIVING AROUND TOWN RIDING HORSES MIGHT BE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE.
IT WOULD DEFINITELY FIT WITHIN HIS CLIMATE ACTION PLAN.
JUST LIKE THIS NEW ELECTRIFYING INITIATIVE WITH THE HERTZ CORPORATION.
I WAS AT THE US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, STEVE HERTZ.
THEY WERE HAVING A, UM, PRESS CONFERENCE AND ON A PANEL TOGETHER, UH, TALKING ABOUT HERSHEY ELECTRIFIES.
AND I WAS, UH, SITTING IN ON THE PANEL DISCUSSION AND, UH, I WAS SAYING, WOW, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT INITIATIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF NEED TO BRING IT HERE TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, AND JUST AS SOON AS THE PANEL DISCUSSION WAS OVER, I MADE A BEELINE, UH, TO STEVEN AND I SAID, UH, WE'LL CERTAINLY LIKE TO, TO FOLLOW UP.
AND THEN JUST A FEW MONTHS LATER, NOW, HERE WE ARE AT, AT HARVEY.
WELL, HOUSTON IS THE FOURTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, AND A VERY SIGNIFICANT MARKET FOR HERTZ.
I'D SAY EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT IS THAT IT'S LED BY A MAYOR, MAYOR TURNER, WHO I THINK HAS DEMONSTRATED A REAL SENSE OF PURPOSE AND DETERMINATION TO BE THE ENERGY CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, AND THEREFORE, PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE TRANSFORMATION THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SPACE AND IN ELECTRIFICATION IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE HAVE, MAYOR TURNER ALSO HAS TREMENDOUS WILL TO ESTABLISH HOUSTON.
NOT ONLY IS THE ENERGY CAPITAL, BUT THE ENERGY TRANSITION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
SO IT'S A COUPLE OF PRIVATE SECTOR PUBLIC SECTOR FORCES COMING TOGETHER AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME THAT'S REALLY GOING TO MAKE THIS GO VERY FAST IN CITY.
UM, SO AT THIS LOCATION AT JAVI AIRPORT, WHAT WE ARE LAUNCHING IS A CONCEPT CALLED GIGA HUBS.
AND GIGA HUB IS UP TO 50 CHARGERS IN ONE LOCATION, ALL FAST CHARGERS UP, YOU KNOW, 150 KILOWATTS AND ABOVE, AND IT WILL ACCOMMODATE ALL MAKE MODELS OF EVS.
WE'RE ALSO SUPER HAPPY TO BE IN A POSITION TO DONATE THIS CHEVY BOLT, THE YELLOW RIBBON ON THE HOOD.
UH, AND, UH, WE ARE DONATING THIS TO LONE STAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
LANSON, I'M VERY PROUD TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE KEYS TO THIS EV AND WE HOPE THAT WE WILL PUT IT IN GREAT USE WITH YOUR STUDENTS OVER TIME WITH THIS VEHICLE AND WITH THE CURRICULUM, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO START GETTING OUR, OUR FACULTY TRAINED AND GETTING OUR STUDENTS TRAINED ON SOMETHING THAT LAST WEEK WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO.
IMAGINE THE, THE REDUCTION IN COST OF, UM, OF WORKING ON AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE.
YOU DON'T HAVE A TRANSMISSION,
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YOU DON'T HAVE A CARBON FOSSIL FUEL FIRED ENGINE.IT'S GREAT BUSINESS, AND I THINK IT'LL REALLY ADD TO THE FIRST AND FOREMOST THE BENEFIT OF THE PASSENGER.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHO WE'RE HERE TO SERVE.
BUT IT WILL CERTAINLY REBOUND TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, STICKING WITH PROVIDING NEW TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AT HOUSTON AIRPORTS.
UNITED AIRLINES RECENTLY LAUNCHED CALIBRATE ITS NEW APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
CALIBRATE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIVERSIFY OUR WORKFORCE AND UPLIFT OUR UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITY WITHIN TECHNICAL OPERATIONS AT UNITED AIRLINES.
THIS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, UH, SIGNIFIES THE FACT THAT IF YOU TRAIN THEM, THEY WILL COME.
AND IF YOU PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM, THEY WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE.
AND IF YOU OPEN THE DOOR, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE, IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR GENDER, IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR LANGUAGE, IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR COLOR.
PEOPLE WILL STEP UP AND TAKE ADVANTAGE.
THERE'S ONE REASON THAT BROUGHT US ALL TOGETHER.
IT'S THE BELIEF AND APPRENTICESHIP IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE.
CREATING A PATHWAY INTO A CAREER THAT YOU CAN RAISE A FAMILY ON, SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY.
PUT A ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD, PUT A CAR ON THE DRIVEWAY, TAKE CARE OF YOUR KIDS, TAKE CARE OF YOUR PARENTS, TAKE CARE OF WHOEVER YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF.
IT'S ALSO GREAT FOR OUR ECONOMY.
IT'S GREAT FOR OUR EMPLOYERS, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, APPRENTICESHIP IS GREAT FOR OUR WORKERS.
SO THIS HELPS MAKE IT A MORE EFFICIENT PROCESS.
AND SO CHICK FIX IS AN ALL FEMALE MAINTENANCE TEAM THAT UNITED SPONSORS, UH, WE GO IN AND WE COMPETE AND WE RAISE AWARENESS THAT WOMEN CAN, UH, HAVE A CAREER IN AVIATION MAINTENANCE AS WELL.
IT'S A GREAT JOB IF YOU LOVE TO BE OUTDOORS AND WORK WITH YOUR HANDS AND JUST LEARN NEW THINGS EVERY DAY.
ONE DAY I'LL BE WORKING ON AN ENGINE, AND THE NEXT DAY I'LL BE WORKING ON THE GEAR OR THE TAIL, OR EVEN IN THE CABIN, WE DO IT ALL.
PEOPLE OFTEN ASK LIKE, ARE WE GONNA HAVE ENOUGH WORKERS? ARE WE GONNA HAVE THE SKILLED WORKERS TO DO THIS WORK? AND THE ANSWER IS CLEARLY YES, IF WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE GOOD QUALITY UNION JOBS, AND IF WE BUILD EQUITABLE PATHWAYS TO THOSE JOBS.
AND SO APPRENTICESHIPS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS ARE A KEY PART OF THAT PUZZLE.
THEY HELP US DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? THEY'RE INVESTMENTS IN GOOD UNION JOBS, THEY ARE LABOR MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIPS, AND THEY BUILD IN EQUITY, MAKING SURE THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT IN THE PAST.
NEXT ON CITY PULSE, WE SHARE MORE FROM OUR INTERVIEW WITH HOUSTON FIRST PRESIDENT MICHAEL HECKMAN, AND WE'LL MEET A CANCER SURVIVOR AT CITY HALL WHO IS GIVING THE GIFT OF LIFE.
WHEREVER YOU SEE A FLOWER, A BIRD, A BEAUTIFUL TREE, KNOW THAT MY LOVE IS WITH YOU AS YOU BRING OUR COLORFUL STORIES TO THE WORLD.
MAKE THE FOREST PART OF YOUR STORY AT A PARK NEAR YOU.
ENTICING COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS TO COME TO HOUSTON FOR EVENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT IS NOT AN EASY TASK, BUT HOUSTON FIRST PRESIDENT MICHAEL HECKMAN, EXPLAINS THAT BRANDING IS ESSENTIAL IN MAKING THE CITY VISIBLE.
EVERYBODY, I I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT HAS SEEN IT, RIGHT? WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A PROJECT LIKE THAT, WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OR, OR MAYBE THE TYPE OF PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN FORMING A TEAM, UH, TO SAY, TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
HEY, WE WANT TO GET TOP CHEF FILMED HERE.
YEAH, SO WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM AT HOUSTON.
FIRST, WE REALLY DO, UM, WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE DESTINATION, BUT ARE ALSO REALLY GREAT AT WHAT THEY DO.
SO WE HAVE MANY DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS FROM BUSINESS ANALYTICS TO OUR, OUR OPERATIONS OF OUR FACILITIES, UH, MARKETING, UH, DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE A BROAD MARKETING, UM, STAFF THAT DOES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS FROM, FROM PUBLIC RELATIONS TO MARKETING AND ADVERTISING.
AND THEN WE HAVE A, A, A SALES TEAM THAT WORKS ON RECRUITING MEGA LARGE CONVENTIONS HERE, OR SMALL MEETINGS THAT, THAT POPULATE THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE, OF THE CITY.
WHAT'S THE UNITED BRAND CAMPAIGN? SO LESS THAN TWO YEARS AGO, UM, MAYOR TURNER, WHEN WE WERE IN THE, UM, UH, THROES OF THE PANDEMIC, THOUGHT IT WOULD BE
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A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE TIME BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THE WORLD WAS OPEN AGAIN TO UNIFY HOUSTON'S BRAND.HE RECOGNIZED, I THINK, WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, UM, HAVE KNOWN FOR SOME TIME.
BUT THE MAYOR DEMONSTRATED IT WITH HIS LEADERSHIP TO SAY, LOOK ACROSS HOUSTON'S BRAND ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROMOTE HOUSTON, WE ALL OFTEN SAY DIFFERENT THINGS.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, RECRUITMENT IS DIFFERENT THAN TOURISM PROMOTION AND TOURISM, MARKETING, ENTERTAINMENT, LIFESTYLE, ANY NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
BUT IT ALL NEEDS TO FLOW FROM THE SAME PLACE.
SO HE ASKED US TO LEAD AND WORK WITH, UM, A, A NUMBER OF THE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP AND OTHERS IN, IN THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOP A UNIFIED BRAND FOR HOUSTON.
UM, UH, UH, AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THAT REALLY CAME OUT THAT, BUT THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE MAYOR'S LEADERSHIP, WITHOUT THE STRENGTH OF HIS LEADERSHIP SAYING, LOOK, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOTTA DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT EASY TO DO BECAUSE WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A, A, A CITY THAT'S, THAT'S MORE THAN 600 SQUARE MILES.
UH, WE'VE GOT NASA, WE'VE GOT MUSEUM DISTRICT, WE'VE GOT, UH, THE, OR THE OIL AND GAS AND THE ENERGY INDUSTRY.
WE'VE GOT THE PORT, WE'VE GOT, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS TO TALK ABOUT ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, BUT REALLY IT WAS ABOUT DEVELOPING THAT BRAND ESSENCE THAT IT ALL FLOWS FROM MM-HMM
AND, AND YOU MENTIONED IT THERE.
LOTS OF BUSINESSES, LOTS OF BUSTLING ACTIVITY, LOTS OF PEOPLE.
I'M SURE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING TO SOME OF THE STORIES THAT YOU'RE TELLING RIGHT HERE AND GOING, WOW, THAT SOUNDS EXCITING.
ARE THERE ANY TOOLS OR, OR MAYBE RESOURCES THAT YOU WANT PEOPLE AT HOME TO KNOW THAT THEY COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF? I'D RECOMMEND TO PEOPLE IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULD DO THIS IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE GONNA GO VISIT ANOTHER CITY, IF YOU'RE GONNA GO TO ATLANTA OR ORLANDO, UM, TO VISIT THEIR WEBSITE, UH, TAKE A VISIT TO VISIT HOUSTON.COM.
UH, THERE'S GREAT INFORMATION WHETHER YOU'RE VISITING THIS CITY OR YOU LIVE HERE.
UH, I THINK FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE LIVED HERE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, YOU MAY FORGET ALL THAT THERE IS TO DO.
DO WE GET INTO OUR, OUR, OUR HABITS AND OUR ROUTINES OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO? UM, YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER ALL THE ATTRACTIONS THAT WE HAVE.
THAT'S ALL ON VISIT HOUSTON.COM.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT WAY TO EXPERIENCE, UM, YOUR OWN CITY.
AS A REMINDER, YOU CAN VISIT HTVS YOUTUBE PAGE WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE COMPLETE MICHAEL HECKMAN INTERVIEW.
NOW IT'S TIME TO SPOTLIGHT A WOMAN WHO WENT FROM CANCER SURVIVOR TO LIFESAVER.
MAYOR TURNER'S, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS, JANICE WEAVER.
I AM SO EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THE 2023 CALENDAR FOR GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER.
HEY, HOUSTON, WE'RE OUT HERE AGAIN WITH OUR 2023 BLOOD DRIVE AND 2013, IT TOOK SEVERAL HUNDRED UNITS OF PLASMA TO SAVE MY LIFE.
AND SO THIS IS JUST MY WAY OF PAYING IT FORWARD NINE YEARS LATER,
SO WE WANNA JUST BE ABLE TO EDUCATE PEOPLE ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BLOOD.
IT'S ABOUT SAVING PEOPLE'S LIVES.
AND, UH, FOR EACH PINT YOU'VE GOT SEVERAL LIVES THAT ARE BEING, THAT ARE BEING SAVED.
SO WHEN PEOPLE GIVE, THEY'RE SAVING ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
OH, MS. WEAVER, SHE'S VERY CONNECTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
SHE'S VERY INFLUENTIAL, AND SHE INSPIRES, SHE EDUCATES THE COMMUNITY AND SHE ORGANIZES BLOOD DRIVES.
AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL OF MS. WEAVER HERE WITH THE GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER.
AND I HAVE MY DEAR FRIEND, MY BROTHER, THE NUT, OTHER THAN MY BROTHER JUSTIN ROBINSON, THE THIRD FROM THE HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ANYONE CAN DO.
UH, THE, THE PAIN IS NOT AN ISSUE.
UH, IT TAKES A FEW MINUTES OF YOUR TIME.
YOU DO SOMETHING REALLY GOOD FOR THE WORLD OR YOUR COMMUNITY.
WE, WE ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THIS KIND OF DIFFERENCE.
JUST FROM MY GRANDMOTHER, YOU KNOW, WHEN SHE HAD THE BLOOD INCIDENT AND EVERYTHING.
SHE ALWAYS TELLS ME IT TAKES SOMEONE BRAVE TO DONATE BLOOD.
SO WHEN SHE TOLD ME THAT, UH, ME DONATING BLOOD CAN SAVE THREE LIVES, THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO COME OUT HERE.
AND I'VE BECOME A REGULAR DONOR BECAUSE I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO, AS JUST THE GENERAL PEOPLE TO HELP OTHERS OUT AND GIVE BLOOD THE BEST WAY WE CAN.
THIS IS THE CERTIFICATE OF SPECIAL GOVERNMENT RECOGNITION BEING PRESENTED TO MS. JANICE FOR THE EFFORT THAT SHE'S MADE TO HOLD THIS BLOOD DRIVE TO LIVE TODAY.
AND THIS IS BEING PRESENTED BY CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN.
JANICE WEAVER IS AN AMAZING WOMAN, AND HER BLOOD DRIVE IS JUST ONE OF THE MANY WAYS SHE HELPS OUT AROUND THE COMMUNITY THAT DOES IT FOR THIS EDITION OF CITY PULSE.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, DO BETTER AND BE KIND.