Congratulations to Texas Engineering Solutions’ New P.E.

Justin Lange, P.E., recently received his Professional Engineer license in the State of Texas.   He has been promoted from Engineering Associate to Project Manager.  Justin is in his second year of working at Texas Engineering Solutions (TES).

The Ten Best Cities for Families - Austin #2

You want the best for your family, and that includes great schools, affordable homes, low crime rates, plenty of jobs, and lots of parkland. So we crunched more than 8,000 bits of data in 84 categories to determine this year's top places to raise kids. 

1. Washington, DC

2. Austin, TX

It's no surprise that Austin kept its second-place ranking from last year—it's a way-cool progressive city in a warm and sunny climate. City pools stay open year-round, and the bass are always biting at Town Lake.

The self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, Austin also hosts the annual South by Southwest music, film, and interactive festival. It's a mecca for innovators—Michael Dell launched his tech company here—and Samsung, Google, and Facebook all have offices.

With an abundance of pediatricians, 27,000 acres of parkland, and plenty of farmers markets and food co-ops, Austin is a well-rounded, healthy hometown.

To read the entire Parenting.com article, click here.

Home Builders Induct New President, Board of Directors

Long-time Member Hank Smith Takes over Top Position

Austin, Texas (November 1, 2010)

New leadership for the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Austin will take office today, guiding the 57-year old organization through the next year.

Hank Smith, PE, Principal of Texas Engineering Solutions, a development and engineering firm, will serve as President. Smith has been a HBA member for more than 10 years. During his tenure, he has held several HBA leadership positions including President-Elect in 2010; Home PAC Chair in 2009 and 2010; Board of Directors member; Executive Committee member; Home PAC Trustee; and Vice President of Government Relations.

“My goals include continuing the membership and educational benefits that were implemented by immediate past President Steve Zbranek while also working in cooperation with the five counties and 30 cities that are in our HBA service area. We want to continue to be a resource to help guide growth and development as the new housing market recovers in our area,” said Smith. Smith will also work with the new board to build a “Benefit Home” in the West Cypress Hills subdivision with a share of the proceeds to benefit Dell Children’s Hospital.

Smith grew up in Austin and graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Civil Engineering in 1984. His wife of 28 years, Georgia Smith, has worked for the Austin Independent School District as a teacher for several years and currently teaches special education at Boone Elementary School. He has three sons: Greg, who has a degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Texas and a masters degree from Northwestern University in Bio Technology; Adam, who has a degree from the University of Texas in Mechanical Engineering and currently works for General Electric while pursuing a masters degree in Engineering from Georgia Tech; and Wade, who is at the University of Texas pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

When not working and raising his family, Smith enjoys restoring cars and motorcycles in his garage as well as playing golf with his sons. He attends St. David’s Episcopal Church downtown where he and Georgia were married in 1982.

Ten Best Cities for the Next Decade...Austin is No. 1 (MSN)

Though slowed by the recession, these US cities have flourished by fostering innovations that put Americans to work and keep the nation ahead of the competition.

In compiling Kiplinger's latest search for the nation's top cities, we focused on places that specialize in out-of-the-box thinking.  "New ideas generate new businesses," explains Kevin Stolarick, the research director at Martin Prosperity Institute and our numbers guru, who evaluated U.S. cities for growth and growth potential. "In the places where innovation works, it really works," he says.

In researching our 2010 Best Cities, it became clear that there are three elements to the innovation factor. Mark Emmert, president of the University of Washington, put his finger on two of them: Smart people and great ideas. But we'd argue that it's the third element -- collaboration -- that really supercharges a city's economic engine.

When governments, universities and business communities work together, the economic vitality is impressive.

And it's no coincidence that economic vitality and livability go hand in hand. Creativity in music, arts and culture -- plus neighborhoods and recreational facilities that rank high for "coolness" -- attract like-minded professionals who go on to cultivate a region's business scene.

The 10 cities on our 2010 Best Cities are not just great places to live, they're also great places to start a business or find a job.

Here's a closer look at the cities:

1. Austin, Texas

Austin is arguably the country's best crucible for small business. The city offers a dozen community programs to help entrepreneurs. Overlay that network with a dozen venture capital funds, about 20 business associations, incubators, educational opportunities and networking events. Mix these elements in what many call a classless society -- where hippie communalism coexists with no-nonsense capitalism -- and you've got a breeding ground for start-ups.

Top cities for new grads
Don't discount the fun factor: In the self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world, music and business creativity riff off of one another. The city's famous South by Southwest festival, where concerts, independent film screenings and emerging technology overlap, is a prime example.

To read the full MSN Money story, click here.