SPOTLIGHT ON SYNERGY WINNERS DICK SMITH AND KATZ COFFEE

Each year, through its Synergy Awards, the CEC honors individuals and groups who are working to make a difference in the Houston area. The winner of the Community Activist Award is Richard (Dick) Smith, of the Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition. The winner of the Corporate Awareness Award is Katz Coffee.

Smith retired in 1996 after a career in contract administration for companies involved in the manufacture of industrial equipment and in aerospace. He serves on the Ravensway/Saracen Park home owners’ association flood committee, has been the active in several capacities with the Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition, is a Director of the Timberlake Improvement District, and was appointed by Harris County Commissioners Court as a member of the Harris County Flood Control District’s task force. He helped found the HP Park Alliance, and served on the El Lago city council when he lived in the NASA area.

Katz Coffee is a roasting house in the Heights preparing organically grown coffees from around the world. Many are also fair-trade certified and three varieties are certified shade grown, a bird-friendly practice that results in a higher quality coffee bean. Their beans include varieties from Guatemala, Ethiopia, Mexico, Sumatra, and Peru. The coffees are sold at area farmers’ markets.