Please help us welcome the newest member of our GHBA team, Kat Creech!
Kat joins GHBA as director of special events. She will succeed Mel Audain, as she retires at the end of the year. Kat will oversee GHBA’s most notable events including the Houston’s Best PRISM Awards, Installation Celebration and Forecast Luncheon. She will also serve as liaison to the Sales & Marketing Council and the Northern Counties Builders & Developers Division.
Aimee Bertrand, CEO, sat down with Kat to ask her a few questions to help you to get to know her.
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Where did you grow up? My hometown is Wharton, Texas but both of my parents worked in Houston, so I feel like the H-town blood is deep within my roots.
Do you have a favorite memory from childhood? Hands down my favorite memory from my childhood is my time with my grandparents, Imogene and Ernst. I wish they could see me as an adult and the impact of their inspiration.
Tell us about your experience planning events. For me, planning and designing epic events begin with truly understand the brand, the messaging, and the end goal. I tend to push the envelope, always wanting to offer a unique angle. I have had the opportunity to design some of the most beautiful platinum weddings, incredible corporate retreats, and annual outdoor festivities for thousands. I love to balance my love for design with my strength of executing logistics, which has had me recognized as a two-time national event planner award winner. Typically, the more complicated an event, the happier I am.
Do you have any great successes or stories you would like to share from working after Harvey, with our team? When Hurricane Harvey hit, I saw a gap in the recovery process and launched Recovery Houston Foundation, which quickly turned into a non-profit. As the executive director, we moved 2,500 volunteers and cleared 250 homes within three months. At the conclusion of 2017 I received the Points of Light Award (a humanitarian award created by George Bush Sr) which offered the opportunity to meet the five former presidents. President Obama selected me as one of the top three humanitarians of the year. That was a very cool Tweet to wake up to! In 2018, we rebuilt 25 homes, all in the lower social economic areas of Houston.
What drives your interest in working to improve our community? I think when you give more of yourself, you have more to offer others. I have a servant heart and offering a hand usually provides more positive outcomes than not. I truly believe that going to “work” is not what you will be remembered by. Improving your community and doing good things leaves a legacy. I often find myself asking, “What can I do today to impact tomorrow?”
Do you have any pets? Cooper (Beagle) and Weller (Beagle-Cocker Spaniel) rule the roost.
What do you do when you are away from the office? (Any hobbies, talents, interests?) During my pastime you will find me traveling near and far soaking up culture and cuisine. I love an intense hike seeing parts of the world that most do not. I have lots of favorite hikes, but one of the most memorable is Half Dome at Yosemite. I am an outdoor gal all the way, an avid gardener, and love my backyard pocket prairie. I balance my mental health on the tennis court and at the cross-fit gym. By far, the best thing on earth is dark chocolate, coffee, and wine….oh, and my kids.
What is your go to restaurant recommendation for guests from out-of-town? I am connected to the barbeque community and just love the pit-masters behind the smoked meat. An out-of-town guest would take a tour to experience some of the best of the best. Then, I would make sure that we hit a highlight in each one of the cultural pockets we have, ensuring they experience the culinary melting greatness of H-Town. My favorite type of cuisine is fusion or elevating comfort food to the next level.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our members? If my life had a soundtrack title it would be “Yes, and…”