Mike Micallef, president of Reata Restaurant, has been named chair of the Fort Worth Chamber, leading the organization in 2026 as it sharpens its focus on engagement and advocacy for employers of all sizes and begins development of a new three-year strategic plan to address workforce, talent, and education challenges across the community.

Micallef previously served as vice chair in 2025 and has been involved with the chamber over multiple periods. Reata has been a chamber member since the restaurant opened in Fort Worth in 1996. He said his focus as chair will be on strengthening member engagement and business advocacy across the full business community.

“Running a restaurant keeps you grounded in what it means to be a small business,” Micallef said. “You have to earn trust — and re-earn it every day — one customer at a time. That perspective matters for the Chamber because as important as our largest employers are, our city’s strength also comes from the small businesses that build the day-to-day Fort Worth economy.”

The announcement came as part of the Fort Worth Chamber’s broader release of its 2026 board of directors, which includes executive board officers, a new slate of executive board and at-large members, and committee and area board leadership for the year ahead.

“We’re the advocates for the companies that call Fort Worth home,” said Steve Montgomery, president and CEO of the chamber. “That means being a cheerleader for our community, but it also means rolling up our sleeves and helping solve problems for the employers operating here and now.”

Montgomery said the chamber has launched development of a new three-year strategic plan designed to clarify priorities and align resources around member needs.

“The purpose is to ask ourselves some fundamental questions,” Montgomery said. “What is our value proposition, is it still valid, and what is it we’re doing that resonates with our members? The goal is a clear, member-informed roadmap for how the chamber will focus its work and measure progress over the next three years — and beyond.”

The plan will be developed through a stakeholder-driven research process that includes a member survey, focus groups representing businesses of different sizes and sectors, and one-on-one interviews with key community partners. A midpoint update will be shared at the chamber’s annual meeting on March 25, with the final strategic plan expected to be presented in June 2026.

Montgomery said funding for the planning process is supported by a grant from Sid Richardson Foundation and a contribution from Texas Health Resources.

Executive Board Officers

  • Mike Micallef (President, Reata Restaurant) as chair

  • Mike Morton (CEO, TTI Inc.) as vice chair

  • Laura Ivory (Audit Partner, Deloitte) as treasurer, chair of finance

  • Brian C. Newby (Managing Partner, Cantey Hanger LLP) as past chair

  • Steve Montgomery as FWC president & CEO

Additional Executive Board Members

  • Andrew Lombardi (Crescent Real Estate LLC)

  • Becky Redman (Lockheed Martin Aeronautics)

  • Hadley Woerner (Frost Bank)

  • Henry Hudson (Danone)

  • Karen Denney (Haynes and Boone LLP)

  • Ken Randall (Baird, Hampton & Brown Inc.)

  • Lori Baldock (Simmons Bank)

  • Lucas Bathurst (HDR Engineering Inc.)

  • Matt Homan (Trail Drive Management Corp. — Dickies Arena)

  • Travis Clegg (The Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth)

At-Large Board of Directors Members

  • Alan Shipman (ID Technology)

  • Andrew Fluty (Pulliam Pools)

  • Ben Robertson (TEI Consulting LLC)

  • Brandon Bledsoe (Amegy Bank)

  • Chad Key (Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP)

  • Christina Elbitar (Chadra Mezza and Grill) 

  • David Campbell (Huitt-Zollars Inc.)

  • Derrick Potter (Firefighting’s Finest Moving & Storage Inc.)

  • Ish Arebalos (Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages)

  • James Hurley (Tarleton State University)

  • Matt Whip (EY)

  • Mike Coffey (Imperative) 

  • Terry Smith (InterBank)

  • Toan Luong (Ampersand)

  • Holly Schroeder (DrinkPAK)

Additional FWC members have been tapped as new or continuing chairs for the following specialized committees and regional boards, dedicated to providing support for the city’s diverse business community:

  • Craig Harbuck (Higginbotham) to chair the Membership Committee

  • Frank Shiels (Frost Bank) to chair the Business Advocacy Committee

  • Brendan Harrington (Autobahn Fort Worth) to chair the Automotive Task Force

  • Erin Timberlake (Comark Direct) to chair the Action Ambassadors

  • Mia Moss (Black Coffee) to chair the East Area Board

  • Mike Coffey (Imperative) to chair both the South Area Board and the Talent Committee

  • Ken Randall (Baird, Hampton & Brown Inc.) to chair the West Area Board

  • Ben Johnson (Frost Bank) to chair the North Area Board