East Montgomery - News
Friends roast Chamber President Andy Dill
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| Mike Byers, far right, president of the Humble Area Chamber of Commerce, roasts Andy Dill, far left, president of the Community Chamber of Commerce during a monthly luncheon in East Montgomery County. The roast was held to help Dill celebrate his birthday and service with the chamber. |
By ROYCELYN BASTIAN
To celebrate a birthday and two anniversaries, friends, colleagues and community leaders lined up to roast Andy Dill, president of the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County.
During the chamber’s monthly luncheon, four individuals stood and told stories of how they first met Dill and how he was proud that he was from East Texas.
“Hatchet Man”
“I have known Andy for 23 years and I first met him when I worked for LCT Communications in Greenspoint,” said Genie Ingram, principal and vice president of Coldwell Banker Commercial Ingram Group. “At that time, he was known as the ‘hatchet man’ because he would come in and chop a bunch of heads.”
According to Ingram, her division was moved to a location in Conroe where Dill became her boss. During that time and years later, Ingram and Dill developed a friendship that still continues to this day.
“He (Dill) is truly a man that I respect and he and his family are good individuals and are God’s gift to anybody that they meet,” she said.
Stew Darcy, president of the Greater Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce, told stories of Dill being from East Texas.
“Andy is like any other good Christian guy. He wanted to go to heaven but not today,” Darcy said. “One day someone asked him where he wanted to be when the world comes to an end and Andy responded that he wanted to be in East Texas because when something happens, it takes 20 years before it happens in East Texas.”
Knowing the roastee for more than 20 years, Darcy also spoke on Dill’s character.
“Andy is a good friend of mine and I have always enjoyed our friendship. He is a good person and has done a lot for the community,” he said.
Good old “dad”
Formerly introduced to one another at an Observer Networking luncheon, Dill and Mike Byers, president of the Humble Area Chamber of Commerce, hit it off so well that Dill began referring to Byers as “Dad.”
“Everywhere we went or saw each other, Andy kept introducing me as his dad,” Byers joked. “So I decided that I would help the boy and teach him how to become a chamber president.”
The initial introduction sparked years of friendship and good-spirited humor between the two. At a golf tournament sponsored by the Humble Chamber, Byers selected Dill and two other players to play with him in the tournament.
“The objective was to choose people who will support your idea, and my idea was to not do well in the tournament since it was sponsored by my chamber. That is why I chose Andy and the other two players; they did exactly what I wanted them to do,” he said.
All jokes aside, Byers went on to say how great it is having Dill as a friend that he knows he can trust and depend on.
The other roaster at the chamber luncheon was Isidor Ybarra, vice chairman of the board of directors of the East Montgomery County Improvement District.
Rebuttal
After hearing jokes and funny stories told at his expense, Dill had a rebuttal of his own he wanted to share.
“It is wonderful to have great friends in this community. It has been a great opportunity to serve this chamber, and throughout the years I have become really good friends with all of you,” said Dill as he spoke to chamber members.
Dill was hired Aug. 18, 2003, as president of the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County. While he is celebrating his fifth anniversary with the chamber, he will also celebrate his birthday as well as his 39th wedding anniversary with his wife, Sylvia, on Aug. 23.
“Andy has done a fantastic job for the chamber and the community. We owe a lot of our growth and positive experiences to him,” Ybarra said.
During the chamber’s monthly luncheon, four individuals stood and told stories of how they first met Dill and how he was proud that he was from East Texas.
“Hatchet Man”
“I have known Andy for 23 years and I first met him when I worked for LCT Communications in Greenspoint,” said Genie Ingram, principal and vice president of Coldwell Banker Commercial Ingram Group. “At that time, he was known as the ‘hatchet man’ because he would come in and chop a bunch of heads.”
According to Ingram, her division was moved to a location in Conroe where Dill became her boss. During that time and years later, Ingram and Dill developed a friendship that still continues to this day.
“He (Dill) is truly a man that I respect and he and his family are good individuals and are God’s gift to anybody that they meet,” she said.
Stew Darcy, president of the Greater Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce, told stories of Dill being from East Texas.
“Andy is like any other good Christian guy. He wanted to go to heaven but not today,” Darcy said. “One day someone asked him where he wanted to be when the world comes to an end and Andy responded that he wanted to be in East Texas because when something happens, it takes 20 years before it happens in East Texas.”
Knowing the roastee for more than 20 years, Darcy also spoke on Dill’s character.
“Andy is a good friend of mine and I have always enjoyed our friendship. He is a good person and has done a lot for the community,” he said.
Good old “dad”
Formerly introduced to one another at an Observer Networking luncheon, Dill and Mike Byers, president of the Humble Area Chamber of Commerce, hit it off so well that Dill began referring to Byers as “Dad.”
“Everywhere we went or saw each other, Andy kept introducing me as his dad,” Byers joked. “So I decided that I would help the boy and teach him how to become a chamber president.”
The initial introduction sparked years of friendship and good-spirited humor between the two. At a golf tournament sponsored by the Humble Chamber, Byers selected Dill and two other players to play with him in the tournament.
“The objective was to choose people who will support your idea, and my idea was to not do well in the tournament since it was sponsored by my chamber. That is why I chose Andy and the other two players; they did exactly what I wanted them to do,” he said.
All jokes aside, Byers went on to say how great it is having Dill as a friend that he knows he can trust and depend on.
The other roaster at the chamber luncheon was Isidor Ybarra, vice chairman of the board of directors of the East Montgomery County Improvement District.
Rebuttal
After hearing jokes and funny stories told at his expense, Dill had a rebuttal of his own he wanted to share.
“It is wonderful to have great friends in this community. It has been a great opportunity to serve this chamber, and throughout the years I have become really good friends with all of you,” said Dill as he spoke to chamber members.
Dill was hired Aug. 18, 2003, as president of the Community Chamber of Commerce of East Montgomery County. While he is celebrating his fifth anniversary with the chamber, he will also celebrate his birthday as well as his 39th wedding anniversary with his wife, Sylvia, on Aug. 23.
“Andy has done a fantastic job for the chamber and the community. We owe a lot of our growth and positive experiences to him,” Ybarra said.
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