LEGACY BREAKFAST: Leadership that Lasts

Join us for "Legacy Breakfast: Leadership that Lasts"

The Legacy Breakfast will be an engaging dialogue with Stan Marek and Howard Tellepsen, both have successfully built sustainable, multigenerational family legacies in their businesses and in the community, moderated by Rick Figeroa. The conversation will center Stan and Howard's leadership journeys, family stories and strategies for building an enduring business that carries from generation to generation.

Stan Marek is the president and chief executive officer of the Marek Family of Companies, one of the largest interior contractors in the Southwest. A native Texan, Stan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Texas A&M University. He began his working career in the drywall industry during summers in high school and continued part-time until completing his tour of active duty with the United States Marine Corps Reserves.

In 1970, Stan worked as a journeyman carpenter on large commercial projects before joining the Marek Companies, eventually becoming president in 1982. He was a member of the founding group of the Construction Career Collaborative and has been sponsor of the Rational Middle Immigration social media platform since its inception. Stan is the co-author with Loren Steffy of ‘Deconstructed’ an insider’s view of illegal immigration and the building trades. In 2015 he was inducted to the Texas A&M’s Constructors Hall of Fame.

Howard Tellepsen is Chairman of Tellepsen, a fourth generation, family owned and operated business, providing commercial, institutional, and industrial construction services in Houston since 1909.

Tellepsen has made a multi-generational dedication to projects of significance and to giving back to the community. Known as “builders & believers,” Tellepsen is drawn to opportunities to be a part of something that is “larger than themselves.” Tellepsen has impacted the lives of five generations of Houstonians, building places where they work, play, live, learn, and worship.

Howard received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he served as Student Body President, is a trustee emeritus of the Georgia Tech Foundation, was elected to the Engineering Hall of Fame (2016), received the 2012 Alumni Distinguished Service Award, the 2015 Dean Griffin Community Service Award, and established the Howard T. Tellepsen Endowed Chair in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Howard is a member of the board of directors of the YMCA of Greater Houston (Life Member, past Chairman, and benefactor of the Tellepsen Family Downtown YMCA); YMCA Foundation (past Chairman); Sam Houston Area Council, Boy Scouts of America (Life Member, past Chairman, benefactor of the Tellepsen Scout Camp), and Distinguished Eagle Scout; Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, Treasurer; Thermal Energy Corporation (TECO) Texas Medical Center, Executive Committee.

Previous board service includes: St. Luke’s Health, Executive Committee/St. Luke’s Foundation, past Chairman; Enterprise Bank, past Chairman; Edith and Daniel Ripley Foundation, past President; Petroleum Club of Houston, past President.

Howard is also a Senior Fellow in the American Leadership Forum (ALF), and is a long-standing member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO Gold). He also received the Houston Business Journal’s 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Howard and his wife of 58 years, Carolyn, have four married sons (all involved at Tellepsen) and 10 grandchildren.

Rick is a revered community leader and small business owner who is actively involved in a variety of organizations, including the Texas Association of Business, Memorial Hermann Health System’s Board of Directors and Kingdom Advisors Champions. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1991 with a B.B.A. in Accounting and received his Masters in Agriculture, Land Economics & Real Estate in 1992. Rick has worked as an internal auditor at Halliburton, Duty Free, Texas Commerce Bank and as a real estate consultant at Arthur Andersen.

In 1997, he became a financial advisor at Merrill Lynch where he was awarded the Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Award (2007) and Greater Houston Complex Values Award (2007). In 2009 during the financial crisis, Rick and his partner, Stephen Caton moved their book of business to UBS Financial Services to avoid becoming retail bankers after Bank of America’s takeover of Merrill Lynch.

In 2020, Rick co-founded Patron Partners, a wealth management firm in Houston, to better serve his clients and incorporate conservative values-based investing into portfolios. This move was expedited by two back-to-back events: (1) UBS barring Rick from using the conference room for a Bible study outside of work hours and (2) an internal memo that circulated in January 2020, instructing UBS employees how to change their gender in their HR file.

Rick is among the pioneers of values-based-investing. He believes in the power of elevating and engaging with corporate America instead of simply eliminating stocks of companies run by wayward woke boards. His firm, Patron Partners utilizes Bowyer Research to vote client proxies based upon conservative Christian values, giving a voice to the silent anti-woke majority. Thanks to Bowyer Research and the Alliance for Defending Freedom, Patron Partners’ clients are further empowered to engage with corporations by filing shareholder proposals to be voted on at publicly traded companies’ annual meetings. Patron Partners currently has shareholder proposals on file with the following companies to be voted on at their 2025 annual meetings: Starbucks, Blackrock, Disney, Caterpillar, Pfizer, American Express, AbbVie, Coca-Cola, Boeing and Morgan Stanley. In fact, during a recent meeting with Starbucks Investor Relations, the Starbucks representatives were unaware that their own policy excluded conservative and Christian organizations from the company’s charitable giving match; In response, Starbucks asked if Patron Partners’ client would remove her shareholder proposal if Starbucks changed their policy to match all charitable donations to 501(c)(3) organizations. (As of December 31, 2024, Starbucks is currently seeking internal approval to effectuate this change.)

In 2016, Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed Rick to serve as a commissioner on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, one of the largest agencies in Texas, which oversees approximately forty state licenses. As chairman, a position he has held since 2019, Rick launched a probationary licensing program to enable formerly incarcerated electricians and A/C repairmen to reenter the workforce and reduce their chances of recidivism. He also reduced unnecessary barriers to becoming a barber and/or cosmetologist in Texas by reducing the hours required for licensing. Prior to serving on TDLR, Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed him to the Texas Judicial Council, where he was instrumental in implementing the e-filing system statewide. He is a former member of the National Rifle Association’s Board of Directors and remains active with the Outreach and Grassroots committees.

In all areas of life Rick endeavors to establish meaningful lifelong relationships. He is passionate about mentoring and discipling others, recognizing that he stands on the shoulders of mentors who invested in him. Rick was raised in public housing in Bay City, Texas by a single mother and is the youngest of eight children. Rick understands the unique calling that God has placed on his life and seeks to help others “get seats at the table.” Rick is an avid supporter of Youth for Christ; he and his family host an annual retreat at their ranch for teens, many of whom are currently incarcerated or on probation. This fellowship gives them space to enjoy nature and feel that they are loved. He regularly speaks to business students at Rice University, Texas A&M University & Houston Christian University and enjoys building relationships with these outstanding young leaders.

Rick and his wife live in Brenham, Texas and have four children. He finds peace by working cattle on his ranch and entertaining family and friends.

Host or Publisher American Leadership Forum Houston/ Gulf Coast