2021 Business & Community Excellence Awards

Celebrating the businesses, organizations, and individuals who make North Texas the
best place to live, work, and play. The accomplishments of the finalists and speakers will inspire you. Tune in for a well-produced virtual event with networking time attached. 

We recommend using your Chrome browser to Register here and again when you attend.

   Featured Speakers:


Frank  McGovern,  CEO Clearview  Energy 
Photo by: Dallas Business Journal

Frank McGovern began his entrepreneurial journey in 1999 when he founded Qtel, a telecommunications company. That company expanded and formed a second company, Clearview Energy, in 2006. Clearview Energy provides 100% green energy to residential consumers with great customer value in the retail electric and gas space. The company has grown from a simple idea to a fully realized business, supporting over 100,000 customers in 14 states. And the company continues to grow, having just received their operating license in Europe. The company has over 250 employees and dedicated contractors.
In addition, Mr. McGovern has worked for:

?  Verizon in Corporate Strategy, M&A, New Product Development, and others
?  General Electric in Aerospace, Power System Group, Lighting, and International
?  Raytheon as a Design Engineer

Mr. McGovern has earned both an MBA and a master?s in engineering from the University of
Texas, Austin and holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Massachusetts. The Dallas Business Journal rated Clearview as one of the 100 Who?s Who in Energy five years in a row, from 2011 to 2015.Clearview is the largest LGBTBE in Texas. Frank and his partner, Ricardo Rivera, live in Dallas with their two children.



Lupe  Zapata 
Spectrum  News  1  Texas 

Lupe Zapata is the Human-Interest Reporter for Spectrum News 1 Texas. He graduated from the University of North Texas where he double majored in Film and Theatre Arts with a focus on acting. He?s worked professionally as a TV news anchor/reporter, and served at the ABC affiliate in west Texas where he debuted an original morning show that he hosted. He?s professionally represented by the prestigious talent agency, Ken Linder & Associates who?s
represented TV personalities such as Lester Holt of Dateline, and Mario Lopez of EXTRA.

Before his current position Lupe lived in Los Angeles, where he produced a five-part series called ?Tell Me A Story.? As an Uber driver, he interviewed the people he drove and asked them to share stories of love. This candid interviewing style is his favorite. He recently got a featured speaking role as a reporter in the FX show, American Horror Story: 1984

When Zapata isn?t reporting, you might find him dancing on a Saturday night, or doting over his two nieces and nephew. His siblings Letti and Christopher are two of his favorite people.

Honored Guests
Hon.  Adam  Medrano 
Community  Champion  Award 


For more than 20 years, Adam Medrano has been representing Dallas residents, from Dallas ISD school board member to Dallas City Council Member to Mayor Pro Tem.

While on Council, Mr. Medrano served as the chair of the Public Safety Committee, the Quality of Life Committee and he also served on the Economic Development, Transportation and Infrastructure committee. Mr. Medrano was also the chair of two mayor-appointed Task Forces: the Education Task Force and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Task Force.

In addition, Mr. Medrano has been a board member of Downtown Dallas, Inc., member of the Dallas County Criminal Justice Advisory Board, member of the Urban Forest Advisory Committee, and member of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO).

A lifelong resident of Dallas Mr. Medrano attended Dallas Independent School District schools. He attended Sam Houston Elementary School and the former L.L. Hotchkiss Montessori Academy and graduated from Hillcrest High School. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry.

Proceeds from the 2021 Business & Community Excellence Awards program support the work of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
The LGBT Chamber of Commerce Foundation is an IRS designated 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. TIN: 47-2725448 Contributions made to the Foundation are tax- deductible. Consult your tax advisor.

Meet the 2021 Finalists.  

Business of the Year Finalists
?  Casa M. Spice Company, Mike & Manny Hernandez
?  Stewart Law Group PLLC, Amy Stewart
?  Dallas Wings Basketball, Jordan Baccus

ExtrAA Mile Community Service Award
sponsored by American Airlines
?  Sandy Anderson, Coalition for Aging LGBT
?  Ahmad Goree, Abounding Prosperity, Inc.
?  Shannon Walker, Nu Trans Movement

Supplier Diversity Champion
sponsored by VisitDallas
?  Toyota
?  Vistra
?  PepsiCo

Corporate Ally
?  Ericsson
?  Gearbox Entertainment
?  Children?s Health

Employee Group of the Year
?  Pride ALLYs, Ally Bank
?  PRIDE in Celanese, Celanese
?  UNITY, EY

Member Service Award
?  Ron Allen, Ron Allen CPA, PC

SPONSOR PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE HERE.

To secure your sponsorship, contact the Chamber office at 214-865-6516 or 
Tony.Vedda@LGBTChamber.com

If your company is interested in joining the Chamber, please visit LGBTChamber.com or contact Lisa Howe at the Chamber office at 214-865-7313.