Former heavyweight boxing champion and entrepreneur George Foreman was recently honored at the 2009 International Financial and Leadership Summit. Foreman was presented with the Global Leadership Empowerment Award for his contributions to the Houston community through the George Foremen Youth and Community Center.
During the event Foreman shared the secret of his boxing success and discussed how he started George Foreman Enterprises Inc., the company that sells the George Foreman Grill. Other honorees at the event included: Jamey Rootes, president of the Houston Texans NFL team; Lupe Fraga, CEO and founder of Tejas Office Products; James Garavaglia, the SVP of Comerica Bank; and Wea Lee, chairman of the Southern News Group and founder of ITV International Television Station.
The 2009 International Financial and Leadership Summit was sponsored by the nonprofit Texas Women’s Empowerment Foundation founded by Houston businesswoman Deavra Daughtry. The TWEF mentors families by helping them with personal development, business education, financial understanding, and socio-economic issues.
James Garavaglia spoke about TWEF and why Deavra Daughtry is important to the Houston community. “Deavra Daughtry isn’t a women who didn’t come back to help others,” Garavaglia said. “She made a lot of money and came back to the community. That’s what Comerica Bank is all about. We understand the community, and the community is what makes Daughtry and our banks successful.” –a.r.
