HOUSTON – Chevron Corp. is planning to shed 655 jobs in Houston soon as part of a broader payroll cut across its upstream division announced last October, the latest round of industry layoffs amid a two-thirds drop in crude prices since mid-2014.
The No. 2 U.S. oil company confirmed the cuts Thursday and has previously said it would cut its workforce by 4,000 this year, on top of last year’s reduction of 3,000. Those 7,000 jobs made up about 10 percent of the oil major’s workforce at the end of 2014.
“In light of the current market environment, Chevron continues to take action by revising organizational structures, increasing efficiencies and reducing expenses,” Chevron spokesman Cam Van Ast said in an emailed statement, confirming the 655 local job cuts.
Chevron said it would pay laid-off employees at least six weeks transition pay, severance and provide them career transition services. The job cuts coincide with a 24-percent reduction in Chevron’s investment budget this year to $26.6 billion, as it copes with cheap oil.
In the United States, the oil industry lost some 70,000 jobs last year, according to the Federal Reserve. Globally, companies have cut more than 320,000 positions since the downturn began, according to Houston consultancy Graves & Co., which has tracked the industry reductions.
Houston’s Mayor Turner names new City Attorney
Lewis was a partner at Baker Botts LLP, which he joined right after graduating from Harvard with honors in 1983. He is a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience handling complex cases for businesses and individuals in the energy, real estate, construction, financial and manufacturing industries.
HOUSTON, TX – Mayor Sylvester Turner has announced his selection of Ronald C. Lewis as the new city attorney. Like the mayor, Lewis is Harvard educated and has run his own law firm.
“I wanted a lawyer’s lawyer, someone highly respected who can relate well to me as well as City Council and the general public,” said Mayor Turner. “Ronald certainly fits this description. He is an outstanding lawyer with excellent credentials and the experience necessary to run the law firm that is part of City government.”
Before co-founding Marshall & Lewis LLP in 2006, Lewis was a partner at Baker Botts LLP, which he joined right after graduating from Harvard with honors in 1983. He is a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of experience handling complex cases for businesses and individuals in the energy, real estate, construction, financial and manufacturing industries. He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and the Houston Bar Association as well as a Life Fellow at the Houston Bar Foundation, where he was chairman of the board in 2000. His undergraduate degree is from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
“I look forward to serving the people of Houston, their elected officials and city employees,” said Lewis.
Lewis’ professional affiliations include the Best Lawyers in America, the American Law Institute, and The International Association of Defense Lawyers. In addition, he has served as a member of the Houston Bar Association Minority Opportunities in the Legal Profession Committee, as a steering committee member for the State Bar of Texas Minority Counsel Program and on the Commission for Lawyer Discipline. He volunteers for the Center for Public Policy Priorities and has previously served as a member of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors, the South Texas College of Law Board of Trustees, Texas Appleseed, Neighborhood Centers Inc., and Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas.
Lewis was selected after a competitive search coordinated by a panel comprised of local lawyers. There were about 30 applicants who went through the selection process. Houston City Council is expected to be asked to confirm Lewis’ appointment in two weeks. He will start work May 2, 2016 and is replacing retiring City Attorney Donna Edmundson, who has agreed to stay through the end of May to help with the transition.
HCC-ASPIRE initiates awards to honor excellence
HCC-District VII Trustee Neeta Sane and HCC-ASPIRE volunteers plan for the May 4 Awards Ceremony to honor the Hon. Mayor Sylvester Turner and others.
HOUSTON [April 5, 2016] — Houston Community College (HCC) and the HCC Foundation are dedicated to ensuring resources to support the educational pursuits and achievements of students, faculty, and staff throughout the district. As a supporting organization of the HCC Foundation, HCC-ASPIRE (Asian Scholarship Program Inspiring Results and Excellence) continues to grow to newer heights. In addition to awarding scholarships to HCC students, HCC-ASPIRE has initiated financial awards for the faculty and staff of HCC who demonstrate excellence in their studies or professions. To facilitate further growth, HCC-ASPIRE will host an Awards Reception honoring several high-profile Houston leaders on May 4.
“Our May event will strengthen partnerships for future fundraising for scholarships for students and professional development for faculty and staff.” said HCC-ASPIRE Founder Neeta Sane, also HCC trustee from District VII.
“We are very pleased to have a powerful group of community leaders who will be honored during our early evening reception,” Sane said. “We will begin the awards ceremony by presenting the Public Service Award to the Hon. Mayor Sylvester Turner, and the Immigrant Achievement Award to the Hon. Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos.”
Others to be honored during the event include Mrs. Susan Sarofim with the Philanthropy in Education Award, the George Foundation with the Corporate Philanthropy Award, and HCC Associate Vice Chancellor Dr. Parvin Bagherpour with the Legacy Award.
“While the Asian-American community continues to contribute to the Houston economy, HCC-ASPIRE has made it a priority to celebrate the multi-culturalism in our city. We bring the communities together to ensure fair and equal opportunities for all at HCC, be it in education or employment or entrepreneurship.” added Sane.
The HCC-ASPIRE Awards Ceremony will be held from 6 – 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4 at the Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, 77027. The donation to attend the event is $25 per person. Reservations may be made online at www.hccsfoundation.org/hccaspire by April 28. Those interested in attending may also send their reservation to the HCC Foundation via check to HCC-ASPIRE, 3100 Main St., Suite 12B2, Houston, TX 77002.
The Host Committee for the May 4 event includes Centerpoint Energy, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Aga Khan Council for Southwestern USA, Cathay Bank, H-E-B, Society of Iranian-American Women for Education, Wae Lee, Lina and Michael Sabouni, Dr. Melanie Christofferson, Dr. Rita Raju, Glen Gondo, Stephen Le Jr, CC Lee, Dr. Mohammad Athari, Dr. Art Tyler and Pegah Pouasef, J.D., as well as HCC-ASPIRE Founder and President Neeta Sane.
Partners in organizing the event are Aga Khan Foundation, American Leadership Forum, Chinese Community Center of Houston, Greater Houston Black Chamber, Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce, HCC Board of Trustees, HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado, HCC Foundation Executive Director Carme Williams, Houston International Trade Development Council, Houston Minority Supplier Development Council, Houston Woman Magazine, India House, Muslim Association of Greater Houston, Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, People Caring for the Community , Inc.(PCCI); Raindrop Turkish House, Houston; South Asian Chamber of Commerce, Houston; Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston; United Nations Association – Houston; Vietnamese Culture and Science Association and World Chamber of Commerce, Texas.
The Executive Team of HCC-ASPIRE included HCC Trustee Neeta Sane, Dr. Parvin Bagherpour, Sheila Briones, Dr. Ritu Raju, Ajanta Barua, Munira Panjwani, Munir Ibrahim, Elaine Barber, Mehmet Okumus and Sara Abraham. For more information, please call HCC Trustee Neeta Sane, 832.279.8601.
United Airlines flight attendant pulled emergency slide, walked away
A United Airlines flight attendant pulled the emergency slide and exited a parked plane at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on Monday morning. The flight from Sacramento landed at the airport at 11:26 a.m. and taxied for five minutes. After the Boeing 737 made a complete stop at the gate, the flight attendant opened the plane’s front door, deployed the emergency slide, slid out and walked away.
“When we landed … we were told to stay in our seats as de-planing would take a bit longer,” passenger Jonah Vella told local news station Click 2 Houston. “Everything seemed to be pretty standard.”
According to the station, there was a medical emergency happening at the back of the plane at the same time that diverted passengers’ attentions.
There were 159 passengers onboard the flight, plus six crew members, including the flight attendant in question.
While the flight attendant’s motive is not immediately clear, United said that they believe the action was done intentionally.
“We hold all of our employees to the highest standard,” the airline said in a statement. “The unsafe behavior is unacceptable and does not represent the more than 20,000 flight attendants who ensure the safety of our customers.”
The airline removed the flight attendant “from her flying duties.”
The plane was shortly taken out of service for inspection and then continued onto Fort Lauderdale after a 40 minute delay.
Bush Intercontinental Airport confirmed to Mashable that the incident did not affect airport operations. United did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
OLMC gets the “Camp Kappe” experience
Anthony Ogbo | International Guardian, Houston, TX
5th graders of the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic School (OLMC) on Whitefriars, Houston, Texas just made it back from a four-day field trip at the Camp Kappe – a youth retreat facility of the School of Environmental Education under the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston. The facility serves as a center for youth retreats, camp outs, and operates programs for spiritual development. Each year, the 5th grade class of OLMC attends this facility for four days under the supervision of their teachers and chaperones to explore the realities of nature and spirituality.OLMC’s Director of the program, Mr. Rodriguez said that the camp offers incredible lessons about nature, especially the effects of the environment on humanity and vice versa. The program started Tuesday, February 23 and ran through Friday February 26 affording students the opportunities to acquaint with necessities of nature, as well as the use and protection of God-given resources.
The site was designated to serve as a center for youth retreats, youth camping, and spiritual growth programs operated by the Office of Adolescent Catechesis and Evangelization. It was clearly identified to be a function of the department, to give parishes and schools of Galveston-Houston their own complex rather than relying on facilities of other denominations or secular organizations for similar programs.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic School is a diverse learning entity with core mission of making Catholic education available to the populace. The philosophical relevance is faith-based – where the school collaborates with the parish and parents to advance their evangelical duty through cultivating the mind and developing the heart and spirit of pupils. For general information or enrollment, please contact the OLMC campus directly at 6703 Whitefriars, Houston, Texas 77087 or call 713-643-0676.
