Author: deborah lawson

My most important accomplishment is being Nana to Aly, Cason and Haley. My passions are TAMU Football, going to at least 2 away games a year, my dogs, helping and rescuing those in need, and running (to relieve stress...LOL). My proudest moment The acceptance of women in the industry has changed dramatically from when I started 36 years ago. I’m glad I’ve been a part of helping pave the way for women behind me. I think that’s what I’m most proud of. More about Mary Meet Mary Phelps '82, LEED GA Strategic Accounts Manager, Healthcare Leader 1. How did you get involved in the industry? After graduating from TAMU with a degree in Industrial Distribution in ’82, I took a job in the oil and gas industry before quickly transitioning into the plumbing industry. The early 80’s were a bad time to be in Oil and Gas. An opportunity became available through the placement center at TAMU with American Standard Brands and I made the move. I spent 32 years with ASB before coming to Sloan. I enjoyed my tenure with ASB. I had various roles, calling on everyone from the A&D community, MEP’s, mechanical contractors, showrooms and handling commercial plumbing and strategic accounts before leaving for Sloan in June of 2016. I have been truly blessed to love what I do. 2. What do you like most about the industry/the company you currently work for? While there have been many challenges along the way I love the fact that the industry has so much to offer. Whether it’s supply chain, manufacturing, product development, sales, marketing or management, the possibilities are endless. I have the opportunity to meet so many interesting and great people. I call on decision makers, designer, architects, engineers and plumbing contractors from the vertical markets of...

For a Better Tomorrow, We Play Today Now is the time for play. If ever we’ve needed to rely on the physical, emotional and social benefits of play, it’s now. If ever we’ve needed a chance to feel fresh air, stretch our limb and have some fun, it’s now. If ever we’ve needed to feel included, capable, understood, it’s now. No matter how much the world changes around us, play will always be an important part of shaping kids’ lives. That’s why we will always come back to play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3878sEXPuVE&ab_channel=LandscapeStructures Meet Michelle Edwards '93 Lone Star Recreation of Texas, LLC Michelle ('93) has been married to her college sweetheart for over 26 years. She met Eric ('92) in the Fall of 1990. Michelle and Eric are the proud parents of two children. Their oldest is Class of 2022 and their youngest has her hopes of joining the A&M family tradition after high school in 2022.For the past 25 years, Michelle has managed the operations of a mid-size company, focusing on Human Resources, Accounting, Marketing, Business Operation and Strategy. Her passion has always been to help people achieve their goals. Michelle has been an active member of many community organizations. She enjoys sharing her professional knowledge helping organizations meet their goals. Currently she supports her daughter’s school and serves on the Board with Fort Bend Aggie Moms Club. “Choose Happy”. We all have the choice to decide how we choose to live each day. Choose Happy. Choose Happy to make a difference in someone’s life. – Michelle Edwards In March of 2021, Michelle decided it was time to take her skills and join her husband running their company, Lone Star Recreation of Texas. At Lone Star Recreation of Texas our core values exemplify those same core values we learned at Texas...

What should you consider today to help you move forward? You want retirement to be your chance to get out of the rat race and have time for the things you’ve always wanted to do. That’s great, but what exactly does that mean? Travelling? Volunteering? Spending time with family and friends? Starting a business? Simply doing nothing? You may think your plans are just like everyone else’s, but that’s unlikely. They’re as unique as you are. How you want to spend your time will definitely affect what you should be doing now to prepare for it. However, there are steps that everyone should consider taking today regardless of their retirement goals. Here are six of the most important: 1. Have a plan If you haven’t gathered your ideas about retirement together and distilled them into a cohesive investment plan, that’s a great place to start. Or if you have a plan stuck in a drawer somewhere, you need to revisit it. 2. Use tax-advantaged accounts Even if you don’t have a retirement plan as such, chances are you have savings in employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans (QRPs), such as 401(k) or 403(b) plans, or a traditional or Roth IRA. 3. Clean up your accounts Over the years, you may have accumulated a number of IRAs and QRP accounts with your current and past employers. Along with that, you may own taxable investments in different full-service and online accounts. And your spouse or partner may be in a similar situation. Take time to figure out how many accounts you actually have, and consider the potential benefits of consolidating them. 4. Try to stay in the market When the market takes a big hit, you may be tempted to sell investments with the intention of getting back in when the things turn around....

Each month Houston Aggie Women will be highlighting one of our amazing members - at lunch and here on our website. To give you an idea of what to expect, we're thrilled to introduce one of our favorite founding members, Miss Reveille. Why it is important to walk your Aggie every day. As we move into the second year of covid craziness, it is important to remember to take time for yourself and those around you. Too many of us have fallen into a pattern of hopelessness and despair. Isolating ourselves from everyone and everything that use to fill our very full lives. It’s times like these when it is most important to remember that it will get better, but we have to make it better by purposefully spending time with those we love. As the First Lady of Aggieland since 1931 and the highest ranking cadet on campus, I know a little something about keeping my Aggies healthy. For me, it’s little walks around the campus with a few scritches for those who need to connect. Each day my favorite Aggie and I venture out into Aggieland to smell the flowers and spread a little bit of joy around campus. It’s easy to social distance when you have hundreds of acres to explore, but I always try to rub up against those who need me most. You never know when a cold nose can make the difference to someone who’s feeling lost or alone. And you don’t have to be in Aggieland to be a part of the Aggie spirit. I encourage everyone to stay connected wherever they are. Together, we can make it through this because we are the Aggies. Meet Reveille IX Reveille is known as the First Lady of Aggieland and is Texas A&M’s official mascot....

Each month Houston Aggie Women will be highlighting one of our amazing members - at lunch and here on our website. To give you an idea of what to expect, we're thrilled to introduce one of our favorite founding members, Miss Reveille. Why it is important to walk your Aggie every day. As we move into the second year of covid craziness, it is important to remember to take time for yourself and those around you. Too many of us have fallen into a pattern of hopelessness and despair. Isolating ourselves from everyone and everything that use to fill our very full lives. It’s times like these when it is most important to remember that it will get better, but we have to make it better by purposefully spending time with those we love. As the First Lady of Aggieland since 1931 and the highest ranking cadet on campus, I know a little something about keeping my Aggies healthy. For me, it’s little walks around the campus with a few scritches for those who need to connect. Each day my favorite Aggie and I venture out into Aggieland to smell the flowers and spread a little bit of joy around campus. It’s easy to social distance when you have hundreds of acres to explore, but I always try to rub up against those who need me most. You never know when a cold nose can make the difference to someone who’s feeling lost or alone. And you don’t have to be in Aggieland to be a part of the Aggie spirit. I encourage everyone to stay connected wherever they are. Together, we can make it through this because we are the Aggies. Meet Reveille IX Reveille is known as the First Lady of Aggieland and is Texas A&M’s official mascot....