Katy, TX.
I have been asked and accepted the offer to speak on September 20, 2024, by the Katy Christian Chamber of Commerce at the 7:00 a.m. monthly member breakfast. The topic I will be speaking about is one very important to me: The Importance of Christian Mentorship in Business.
I was blessed to have answered a blind ad in 1994 for a law clerk position at Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. The ad was posted at South Texas College of Law and was supposed to be a short-term clerkship with no opportunity for advancement. I had no idea when I walked through the doors for my interview that day that not only would I get the job, but I would spend my entire legal career working for Simmons and Fletcher, P.C. More importantly, I had no idea that it was a Christian law firm nor that the two partners—Robert S. Simmons and Keith M. Fletcher—would go on to be the most amazing legal and spiritual mentors any lawyer could ever dream of having.
After passing the Texas Bar Exam in 1995, I continued to work as a contract attorney for the firm. After about a year, I was working so much for the firm that they made me a full associate. From there I went on to become and profit-sharing partner. After the sudden loss of both founding partners in 2019 and 2020, I took over as managing partner alongside Christopher K. Fletcher and Sharon Simmons-Cantrell—my equal partners.
Over the past 30 years, I have been blessed with an amazing journey wherein I learned that every great leader, is also a great mentor. I had two men who exemplified this in my life most of my career. Now that they are gone from this earth, it is my goal to be the mentor to others that they were to me.
To be a great Christian mentor, I believe that you must have the following characteristics:
- You must always have an open door. The people who will notice that there is a leak in the lower deck of the ship will not tell you about it if your door is closed.
- You must be able to recognize someone else’s need for help and be willing to help even if they do not know they need it.
- You must be ready to guide others spiritually to do the right thing and follow God.
- You must be active in training future Christian mentors.
- You must recognize that your role is to serve others.
It is a privilege and an honor to be asked by the Katy Christian Chamber of Commerce to talk and I am looking forward to relaying the wisdom of Robert S. Simmons and Keith M. Fletcher to current and future Christian business leaders.
To learn more about the event, membership in the Chamber, and guest attendance, visit the Katy Christian Chamber of Commerce website. The talk and breakfast will take place at the Church on the Rock, 433 Barker Cypress Rd. Houston, TX. 77094 on September 20th, 2024, at 7:00 a.m.
Author
