Kemba DeGroot

Mr. Scott, Thank you for being an active participant in the current Governance issues. Providing factual information to the residents of The Woodlands is everyone’s responsibility and I, for one, appreciate those efforts. As a long-term resident and business owner in The Woodlands, I have always maintained a committed interest in all aspects of this area’s urban growth.

Experience and Background
My husband and I bought a home in Autumnwood, Grogan’s Mill and moved to The Woodlands from Houston in 1988. At that time the population was 22,000 with only two restaurants and not a Mall in sight. We watched the community grow and develop and looked forward to being the FIRST family to actually buy, move into and live in the Lofts on The Waterway in Town Center. We accomplished this in December 2003. To make that experience complete, we relocated our business, Sales Training International, to the new Mall expansion. So now we truly do work and live in The Woodlands Town Center and enjoy the urban life-style more every day.

The business we own is a training/consulting company, and we have been involved with the Town Center Improvement District since 1999 when we facilitated the Vision, Mission and Critical Success Factors, Goals and Action Plans for TCID’s visionary business plan to the year 2010. We have also facilitated similar sessions for the Woodlands Community Associations, The Woodlands Foundation, The Chamber, Interfaith and 15–20 additional non-profit organizations in the county. These sessions have enabled me to understand the challenges and opportunities that these entities face and work to support their efforts.

In addition to a 25 year career in Cardiovascular Nursing, and currently a successful international business, I am proud of my accomplishments as a community volunteer and leader –
· RN and book Author, Critical Care Nursing Skills
· Chair, Better Business Bureau, Montgomery County Advisory Board
· Co-Chair, South County chamber Healthcare Team
· 1996 Graduate of Leadership Montgomery County
· Past Board Director and Chair, The Friendship Center
· Advisory Board, the Woodlands Art Festival

Current Role as Board Director, Town Center Improvement District
In May 2006, I was one of the first elected Directors to the TCID Board. It was the first time that residents of the Town Center were eligible to vote in a TCID election, and percentage wise, there was a greater turnout than almost any other election held in The Woodlands. My issues at that time were the following:
1. Pedestrian Friendly Community: Everyone who visits the Town Center recognizes the need for pedestrian friendly sidewalks, pathways, and safe crosswalks to connect our wonderful attractions, visitor parking, restaurants and local community events.
2. Continued Safety: We all appreciate a safe community, and we will need to be proactive and work together to maintain security with the growing population of residents and visitors to our area.
3. Community Communication: It is important for us as a community to have fast and efficient communication among our neighborhoods and associations. To that end, my husband and I designed and maintain a Web site, www.towncenterliving.com to post updates, news, concerns and announcements for the community.

The above issues are still my issues, and I have met with residents, business owners, and governmental entities to keep these issues and others on the front burner and moving forward. These efforts are what I give to the community and these are the benefits that I personally gain as a local resident and business owner. I will continue to work hard on these and other issues as they come up throughout my tenure on the Board which ends May 2010.

Sincerely,
Kemba DeGroot

Sales Training International
1201 Lake Woodlands Drive, Suite 4012
The Woodlands, TX 77380
(281) 367-5599 (800) 551-7355
Fax (281) 465-0297
www.SalesHelp.com