A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO:
Easter Greetings and Happy Passover
From your friends at the Texas-Israel Chamber!
I hope you and your family have a wonderful and blessed holiday. We have a lot of ground to cover in a brief time, so let’s get started! First I’d like to welcome these new members to the Chamber, and I hope you will help me by encouraging them to attend a Texas-Israel Chamber event soon:
H-E-B (Patron member)
Schlumberger Venture Capital (Small company member)
Whitley Penn, LLP (Patron member)
New CO2Fuels (Israel, Small company member)
I would also like to thank these companies for generously renewing their Texas-Israel Chamber memberships:
Fernando Sanchez
University of North Texas
Retalix USA, Inc. (Board member Relly Shimko)
Rosmarin Consulting
CIC Partners (Board member Amir Yoffe)
NATURAL GAS FLOWS IN ISRAEL!
This Sunday, aside from being Easter and the sixth day of Passover, is also a historic day for the State of Israel, the State of Texas, and member companies Noble Energy, Delek and Alon. On this day, the first natural gas will begin to flow from the Tamar field, discovered by Noble in 2009. Silvan Shalom, Israel’s new Minister of Energy & Water proclaimed, “This is Israel’s energy freedom and independence day.” During a visit to the production rig this week, Delek controlling shareholder Yitzhak Tshuva said, "Gas flow will result in significant political and social change, and improve the standard of living and the environment."
The Chamber plans to track and report on the changes Tshuva alludes to by holding programs this year featuring executives from Noble, Delek, Alon and those close to the new energy industry in Israel as we can get them confirmed.
NEW EVENTS JUST ADDED: APRIL 19 IN HOUSTON & MAY 3 IN DALLAS
Mark your calendar and plan to join us on April 19, when we co-host a Happy Hour networking event at SURGE Energy Accelerator in Houston from 5-7 pm. Invitations with details to follow shortly.
On May 3 the Chamber and the Dallas Holocost Museum will hold a special luncheon event featuring Ronny Edry from Israel. A year ago, Ronny and his wife Michal unintentionally began an anti-war campaign when they uploaded a poster to facebook that read “Iranians, we will never bomb your country. We [heart] you.” Their initiative challenged historical thinking about the relationship between Israel and Iran, and at the same time empowered citizens of both countries to make a difference and begin a dialogue. Their campaign to prevent war is based on hope and goodwill. What is so refreshing about this is the positive spin on a very serious subject: nuclear and conventional war. Invitations with details and registration information will be emailed to you April 4.
TEXAS-ISRAEL DAY AT THE CAPITOL MAY 8
Please mark your calendar and plan to join us in Austin on May 8 when we celebrate Texas-Israel Day at the Capitol. Thanks to State Sen. John Carona and State Rep. Stefani Carter, a resolution designating May 8 as Texas-Israel Day will be read in both the Senate and House Chambers on this day and members of the Texas-Israel Chamber in attendance will be recognized. We plan to use this day as an opportunity to educate legislators and key stakeholders about the very close relationship between Texas and Israel. We will highlight Israeli water conservation and desalination technologies that can dramatically help the citizens of Texas solve the very serious water shortage problems we face in the immediate future.
This day is a huge opportunity for Texas-Israel Chamber members to meet face to face with our legislators and educate them on the many ways Texas and Israel are so closely connected. Here’s a draft agenda of the day’s activities. As we get more details on speakers and Israeli companies that can participate, I’ll send an update.
Texas-Israel Day at the Capitol, Wednesday, May 8
10 am Texas-Israel Chamber recognized in each legislative chamber
10:30 - noon Scheduled visits with you and your local legislators
Noon Lunch at the Capitol Cafe
1:30 – 5 pm Speakers on Israeli Water Conservation and Desalination
5:30 – 7 pm Reception at McGuireWoods Consulting, LLC (walking distance from Capitol)
I hope you will join us and contribute to our effort. The more people we have in Austin supporting Texas and Israel, the bigger an impression we can make on state lawmakers. If you’d like to participate, please RSVP to me.
We have negotiated a special rate of $219/night at the Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental Hotel, in walking distance of the Capitol. Reservations can be made by calling the reservations department at 512-457-8800 or email jason.sandoval@ihg.com. Please identify yourself with the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce to receive the group rate.
WATER MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE MAY 21 AT AKIBA/YAVNEH ACADEMY IN DALLAS
The Chamber is pleased to partner with the Center for Texas-Israel Innovation to produce the Water Management Conference on May 21, 4-9 pm, in Dallas. Walking on the campus of the Akiba and Yavneh schools is just like walking in Israel. All of the plants are native to either Israel or Texas, the campus faces Israel, and the significance of the importance of water to Israel and Texas is prevalent throughout. The campus is currently undergoing dramatic improvements, designed to transform it into a model of Israel water management innovation. Several companies including Netafim, the Israeli firm that developed the first drip irrigation system in the world, and ValleyCrest, the largest landscaping company in the world, have donated the products and services required to complete the project.
Attending the Water Management Conference will be those people responsible for maintaining grounds and campuses that require large amounts of water; colleges, museums, golf courses, etc. as well as invited legislators and representatives from municipalities throughout the state responsible for water use, conservation and interested in desalination.
We will be sending out invitations with registration information in the next couple of weeks, be watching your email.
TEXAS DELEGATION TO ISRAEL OCT. 19-26
The Chamber’s focus on Israeli water management solutions extends to Israel this October. In partnership with the Israel Economic Mission in Houston and the Texas Water Development Board, we will lead a delegation from Texas to Israel to attend WATEC 2013, widely regarded as the nexus of world-class expertise in the water field (http://www.watec-israel.com/). In addition to the conference, the trade mission will allow time for delegates to set meetings with companies and government officials and for touring. This promises to be a very interesting and productive week in Israel. If you are interested in participating, email me at cfreeman@texasisrael.org. Details to come will include an itinerary, hotel, air travel and touring information.
DAVID WIESSMAN BRIDGE BUILDER AWARD DINNER -- NOV. 6 AT THE HOUSTON WESTIN GALLERIA
Mark your calendar now and don’t miss what promises to be a great evening celebrating Noble Energy’s discovery and production of natural gas in Israel, which is fundamentally changing the country. Noble CEO Chuck Davidson will accept the award on behalf of all of the Noble employees who contributed both in Texas and Israel.
CLEANOVATION 2013 MEET-UP & EXPO – NOV. 20 IN SAN ANTONIO
Led by co-event chairs David Ronn, McGuireWoods Houston and Meital Stavinsky, Greenberg Taurig, work continues on planning this full day conference bringing the best of Israeli clean/green/energy tech innovation with the best of Texas clean/green/energy tech innovation.
If you have questions, suggestions or comments please send me an email to cfreeman@texasisrael.org or give me a call at 214-272-4817. My door is always open!
Clare Freeman
President/CEO
Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce
President
Israel Texas Science and Education Foundation
President & Chief Executive Officer
Clare Freeman was named the permanent President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce, headquartered in Dallas, TX on Jan. 3, 2012. In her role, she is responsible for the Chamber’s strategy and direction, working closely with member companies and government to provide business opportunities for both Texas and Israeli companies. Freeman is also President and Chief Executive Officer of the Israel-Texas Science and Education Foundation, created to advance technical skill-building for students and adults in Israel and Texas.
