The Katy Business Association was saluted with a special proclamation at Monday night’s meeting of the Katy City Council, in observance of the organization's fortieth year.

KBA President Olivia Martin and seven members were present at the meeting to receive the recognition from Mayor Dusty Thiele, which declared September 9th as a “day of celebration” honoring KBA’s anniversary.

The organization was formed by Rosemary Nelson, the original owner of Cottage Door located in old Katy, and Patsy Jean Williams, a local Katy real estate broker, in 1984. Their vision was to create a small organization where local Katy businesses could meet monthly and support each other, said Martin. Another local Katy resident, Patty Raske, was also part of the beginning stages of the organization.

“The KBA has evolved from a very small group of business owners to including business owners, professionals, community leaders, and nonprofits,” said Martin in an interview with the Katy Times. “We have a similar vision since the beginning but have recently updated the organization through marketing, new website, and new content.”

The association – now at 106 members – represents a very diverse network of business owners, professionals, community leaders, and non-profits. “We are not industry-exclusive, so everyone who serves the Katy community can join,” Martin said. “This allows specific industries to learn from their peers -- it’s amazing to see the community we have supporting each other.”

The Katy Business Association is different from other networking groups, Martin said. “Our focus is to create meaningful relationships that expand your businesses network. Meetings are resource focused while spotlighting members and their needs. We support 100% support our local Chambers and encourage businesses to join all of your local chambers.”

In fact, KBA itself partners with the Katy Area Chamber of Commerce in presenting a quarterly event called “Women of Katy.” Martin and Stacy Jacobs, Vice President of Business Development at the chamber are co-creators of the program. “KBA serves as a marketing partner to the Chamber to help promote this incredible program,” Martin said. “’Women of Katy’ is dedicated to providing resources to all women in Katy -- resources range from personal to business to better help their current roles or future plans. It’s a really unique program that the KBA is proud to support.”

Joining Martin, owner of KTX Window Cleaning, in leading the organization is a strong board of directors, including Secretary Patti Lacy of Coldwell Banker, Treasurer, John Kirk of The Well Counseling Katy, Membership Director Mildred Vergara of Spoken Learning, Marketing Director Thomas Westbrook of Westbrook Solutions, and Director of Events Amanda Friedman of Main Event. The position of vice president is currently being voted on, Martin said. Clara Jean Machann of Town & Country Realty, who has been KBA president three times, has been declared a lifetime

KBA member and continues to advise the board. Along with former Katy mayor Skip Connor of Katy Insurance, Machann is one of the longest active KBA members.

Unlike other networking groups, KBA does not focus on outside speakers. “The best speakers we’ve featured are the members,” said Martin. “We love to hear about local businesses, what they provide, and their passions. It’s been an honor getting to know such amazing business and leaders in the community.”

Like all networking groups, KBA faced challenges during COVID but the group pivoted and started Zoom meetings, providing opportunities for business owners to continue their networking through such a difficult time.

A recent challenge for the organization was the death of the group’s vice president, who passed away this summer. “Our Vice President, Sandra Ross, lost her battle with cancer just two months ago,” Martin said. “Sandra was a light to the KBA Board of Directors and it was a huge loss. We appreciate the love and dedication she showed to this organization since 2019. She will be truly missed.” Poignantly, Monday’s mayoral proclamation came on what would have been Ross’ birthday.

Helping local charities in the Katy area has been one of the organization’s greatest accomplishments, Martin said. KBA has helped to raise over $15,000 supporting local charities in the Katy Community since 2018, she said. However, that support is changing slightly, she added. “We are doing a fundraiser instead of grants moving forward due to some 501c6 regulations.”

The organization also honors a "Business of the Year" each year, awarding the title to a KBA member who volunteered time and showed support of KBA during the year, and who is a valued member of our KBA Community, Martin said.

“In the next 40 years, we hope the Katy Business Association continues to grow, evolve and support the community in meaningful ways,” Martin said. “By providing resources to help all small businesses thrive and nurturing future leaders, we aim to be a hub for connection and support. We’re committed to uplifting every small business, honoring our legacy of service, and making Katy a great place to live, work, and grow for generations to come.”

For more information on the group, visit TheKBA.org.