Diane Calkins has joined Montgomery County Youth Services as finance director. Calkins has more than 15 years of experience working with non-profits, most recently as Director of Finance and Operations for the Child Advocacy Centers of Texas in Austin. And Adriana Valencia with Investment Professionals, Inc.,has been named to the MCYS board of directors.

Calkins received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

“We are excited to welcome Diane to Montgomery County Youth Services,” said MCYS Executive Director John Bracken. “She joins MCYS with extensive experience in finance and management, offering a wealth of knowledge to the organization, and has a strong desire to serve the youth and families in our community.”

Born in Mexico City, Adriana moved to the United States in 1998 and is a leader in financial planning and investing. She also servs on the boards of other area community organizations.

“We are thrilled to welcome Adriana to our board,” said MCYS Board Chair Alex Sutton. “She offers a fresh perspective in leadership and brings a friendly, helpful hand with a strong desire to serrve the youth in Montgomery County.”

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Jim Carlton and Scott Hofferkamp of Carlton, Hofferkamp & Jenks Wealth Management have been named Five Star Wealth Managers ranking them in the top 2 percent of investment advisors in Houston and San Antonio in overall client satisfaction. Their boutique investment management firm specializes in wealth protection and growth.

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Kroger recently presented Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital with $17,000 resulting from the culmination of its “Giving Hope a Hand” campaign, in which a percentage of customers’ purchases over a 2-week period helped to raise funds for breast cancer awareness efforts.

Knowing the toll that breast cancer takes on the lives of its associates and customers, Kroger is committed to finding a cure for this deadly disease and helping men, women and their families find the treatment and resources they need to face their illness head on.

The monies will allow Memorial Hermann to continue offering free and low-cost breast cancer screenings, treatments and education. Ad­ditionally, the contributions will help affected men and women find treatment and the resources they need to cope with the illness.

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M/I Homes has contracted to purchase 100 homesites in the neighborhood of Hearthshire in the 400-acre area of May Valley, located in The Woodlands Village of Sterling Ridge, according to Buck Driggers, vice president of residential sales and development for The Woodlands Development Company.

M/I Homes will be offering eight two-story plans and six one-story plans in May Valley. The option of a bonus room and extra bed/bath upstairs will be offered on all one-story homes. All are brand new “livable” plans, designed specifically for the Houston market and with input from both consumer and Realtor focus groups, according to Rick Van den Bosch, vice president.

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St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital has achieved accreditation as a Primary Stroke Center by DNV Healthcare, Inc. As a result, St. Luke’s ensures quality and competency in its ability to provide the highest level of immediate stroke emergency care to help save lives.

“By undergoing the accreditation process, our hospital makes critical decisions about how it treats diseases, stores medications, allocates nurse staffing, conducts billing and reimbursement,”  explained Peg Reiter, RN, PhD, assistant vice president and chief nursing officer. “Therefore, the quality of our hospital care is enhanced and our approach to our operations is positively impacted.”

“We are proud to have embraced the new recognition process to become a Primary Stroke Center,” added Debra F. Sukin, chief executive officer of St. Luke’s The Woodlands Hospital  and St. Luke’s Lakeside Hospital. “It represents a catalyst for our ongoing commitment to patient safety and clinical quality.”

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Talisman Energy USA Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Talisman Energy Inc., a global, diversified, upstream oil and gas company, is expanding its offices at 4 Waterway Square in The Woodlands Town Center, according to Dan Leverett, vice president of commercial for The Woodlands Development Company With Talisman’s expansion, and the recent lease of 91,456 square feet by Newfield Exploration, 4 Waterway Square is now 99 percent leased. Talisman currently employs 52 full-time staff in The Woodlands.

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The North Houston Association has awarded its “North Star Award” to Nelda Luce Blair, owner of The Blair Law Firm and director on The Woodlands Township Board. The award is presented to an individual or company in north Houston that has made a long-term, significant contribution to the region. For three years ending in mid-2010, Nelda Luce Blair’s strategic leadership skills led The Woodlands Township, created in 2007, into a regional partnership with the City of Houston and City of Conroe that ultimately will allow residents of The Woodlands to determine their future form of governance in 2014. To get to this key point in time, a major change in governance was necessary, and Blair directed this process, known as the “Transition,” as the Chairman of the Board, all in a 100 percent volunteer capacity, spending thousands of hours and utilizing visionary leadership.