News Room

March 2010

Open Channels Group President Receives Dallas Black Chamber Entrepreneurship Award

The Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce honored Open Channels Group Founder and President, Tonya Veasey with the 2010 Quest for Success Award. The prestigious recognition is given to eight North Texas entrepreneurs who have succeeded in business and are making a difference in the community.

Veasey was nominated for the award by Devoyd Jennings, president of the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. "Tonya is deserving of this recognition because she has built an incredibly successful company in a very short period of time while continuously giving back to her community and maintaining her strong local roots," Jennings said.

"To receive the Quest for Success Award is an incredible honor, and it is one that I share with my team at Open Channels Group and my family," said Veasey. "I am humbled to be in the company of so many other accomplished business leaders who have received this award over the years. This recognition is one more indication that at Open Channels Group, we work hard to exceed our clients' expectations."

Veasey is the only 2010 Quest for Success recipient from Fort Worth. According to the Dallas Black Chamber, the Quest for Success Awards were begun 26 years ago to recognize "the success and community service of outstanding entrepreneurs in the Dallas and Fort Worth area."

Veasey founded Open Channels Group in 2005, and now oversees a full-time staff of eight. The company is a full-service communications and public affairs firm with offices in Fort Worth and Atlanta.

In addition to running and growing her company, Veasey stays active in the community. She is serving on two North Texas Super Bowl Committees and is active in the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce. She also sits on the board of the Tarrant County Hospital District.

December 2009

Open Channels Group and Franklin Partnership Announce Strategic Consulting Venture

Fort Worth-based Open Channels Group announced today that it has established a new strategic consulting venture with the Washington, D.C.-based lobbying firm The Franklin Partnership. The new venture will utilize the communications and public affairs strengths of both firms to provide clients in the Fort Worth/Dallas area with innovative and strategic solutions for their government affairs needs.

"It is exciting to be joining with the distinguished team at The Franklin Partnership on this new venture" stated Tonya Veasey, president, Open Channels Group."This partnership allows us to utilize our strengths in communication and government affairs to further ensure that clients will be well represented both here and in Washington, D.C."

"We are happy to be joining with Tonya and her team at Open Channels Group on this new strategic consulting venture" stated Pete Rose, partner, The Franklin Partnership. "We believe that this allows us to better serve our clients by providing skilled communications and public affairs representation locally in the Fort Worth/Dallas area."

The Franklin Partnership provides comprehensive government relations and public policy analysis on behalf of their clients before Congress, the Administration, and state and local governments. With a diverse client base, The Franklin Partnership is able to effectively focus on appropriations, health care, municipalities, tax, international trade, manufacturing, defense, small business issues, tribal governments, energy, and telecommunications, as well as other areas. To learn more about The Franklin Partnership, please visit www.franklinpartnership.com.

August 2009

U.S. Department of Commerce and Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce Honor Tonya Veasey and Open Channels Group as 2009 Exceptional and Successful Entrepreneur

As part of the National Minority Enterprise Development Week, Tonya Veasey, president of Open Channels Group, was honored as the 2009 Exceptional and Successful Entrepreneur by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce (FWMBCC). "For the past 27 years we have held this event with the U.S. Department of Commerce to promote minority businesses and recognize those individuals and companies in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth region that are truly exceptional and successful. This year, it was a great pleasure to honor Tonya and her team at Open Channels Group with this prestigious recognition," said FWMBCC President Devoyd Jennings. "Open Channels Group is a dynamic organization that is dedicated to and passionate about each of their clients. Tonya"s success and entrepreneurial spirit captures the true meaning of this award."

The Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week commemorates the contribution of the nation"s minority entrepreneurs and firms. The MED Week Conference is hosted by Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration and other partners from the public and private sectors. It offers participants an excellent opportunity to interface and discuss issues relevant to this important segment of the nation"s business sector.

"I am honored to receive this recognition and award from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the FWMBCC," said Veasey. "It is truly fantastic to be acknowledged for our hard work during this special annual event. This affirms for our clients that we are making strides as we continue to help them achieve their goals."

MED Week was first initiated via Presidential Proclamation by President Reagan in 1983 and now stands as the premiere national conference for the minority business enterprise community.

July 2009

Omni Fort Worth Hotel Hires Open Channels Group to Plan Hospitality Diversity Vendor Fair

Fort Worth-based Open Channels Group is working with Omni Fort Worth Hotel to plan its first Hospitality Diversity Vendor Fair. Open Channels Group is responsible for organizing the Hospitality Diversity Vendor Fair from start to finish, coordinating with project partners on their participation and identifying suppliers and contractors to attend the event.

"We are excited about being selected as the firm of choice to plan this event," said Tonya Veasey, president. "We are committed to helping organizations such as Omni meet their business diversity goals."

The Hospitality Diversity Vendor Fair will be held at Omni Fort Worth Hotel located at 1300 Houston Street in downtown Fort Worth on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. During the fair, vendors will learn about contract opportunities with Omni Hotels and its participating partners, meet senior management and purchasing representatives, learn how to become certified as a Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise, and how to register as a vendor with the City of Fort Worth.

For more information or to register for this event, contact Tamesha Robinson by phone at 817.332.0404 or via e-mail at tamesha [at] openchannelsgroup.com.

June 2009

Open Channels Group President Tonya Veasey featured in the June 2009 edition of Minority Business News.

Click here to read the full article.

March 2009

Open Channels Group highlighted as a diversified public affairs firm in the Fort Worth Business Press.