Marisa Allen

From Staff Reports

PATH Week Dinner, Community Impact Awards

PATH (People Attempting to Help) is excited to announce their 2024 Trudy Richardson Community Impact Award Recipients: Christus Fund, J. Chad Parker, and Jimmy Olson.

The recipients are chosen based on their exceptional service to PATH and the local community, and they will be honored at the PATH Week Celebration Dinner, Sept. 12, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Crosswalk Conference Center at Green Acres Baptist Church, 1607 Troup Hwy. in Tyler.

The guest speaker at the dinner will be Craig Allen Cooper, a bestselling author and keynote speaker. Cooper is the co-author of the book “Glad You’re Here” with Grammy-nominated country singer and songwriter, Walker Hayes. Craig has been featured on the Today Show, People Magazine, Family Life Radio, the Dream Big podcast with Bob Goff and many other news sources, radio and television programs and podcasts.

According to a press release, Cooper has a great story about the power of personal relationships and connections.

Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased at pathhelps.org.

Founded 39 years ago by Gertrude Windsor, PATH’s (People Attempting to Help) mission is to restore hope with a personalized approach to empower our East Texas neighbors to thrive in the local community. PATH serves 120 families daily, 150 new families each month, and 22,494 people in 2023. Services include emergency assistance, basic medical services, and permanent supportive and transitional housing.

PATH, located at 402 W. Front St. in Tyler, also offers the largest Choice Food Pantry in East Texas. Coats For Kids and seasonal drives for diapers, fans, and personal care items provide other assistance to those in need. PATH is a Charity Navigator 4-star charity, has received the Guidestar Gold Level Seal of Transparency, and is a BBB Accredited Charity.

For more about PATH, contact 903-617-2833 or visit pathhelps.org.

Attorneys named to Best Lawyers in America

Martin Walker PC, a Tyler-based boutique law firm specializing in high-stakes personal injury litigation, announced that its three partners — Reid Martin, Jack Walker and Marisa Allen — have earned selection to the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Name partners Martin and Walker are honored for the fifth consecutive year, and Allen is celebrating her fourth year in the prestigious legal guide.

“We are thrilled and humbled to be recognized again on the Best Lawyers list,” Martin said. “This acknowledgment reflects our team’s dedication to advocating for our clients and achieving justice in complex cases.”

Martin continues to earn recognition for his work in medical malpractice law for plaintiffs, and Walker is celebrated for excellence in personal injury litigation on behalf of plaintiffs. Allen is listed for personal injury litigation and her appellate practice.

“It is an honor to be recognized by Best Lawyers alongside my esteemed colleagues,” Walker said. “I’m proud to work alongside such talented attorneys, and our entire team is thankful to our peers for acknowledging our efforts and success.”

Martin Walker PC is no stranger to accolades. The 2024 edition of Best Law Firms recognized the firm as one of the nation’s top personal injury firms for the 14th consecutive year. Each attorney has also been regularly honored by Texas Super Lawyers and Lawdragon. The firm is also in The National Law Journal’s Verdicts Hall of Fame for winning a record $43 million malpractice verdict against East Texas Medical Center in 2018.

The Best Lawyers in America guide is a go-to resource in the U.S. for top attorneys across 150 practice areas. Its exhaustive peer review process makes selection one of the most coveted awards in the legal field.

Martin Walker PC, located at 202 W. Erwin St., is a Tyler-based law firm with significant trial expertise representing individuals and businesses in high-stakes litigation, including medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries involving 18-wheeler accidents, oil field injuries, wrongful death and product liability.

Tyler Beverages earns safety award

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) recognized Tyler Beverages with the Lone Star Safety Program Award on July 19 for its exemplary workplace health and safety programs and low rates of work-related injuries and illnesses.

Tyler Beverages bottles and distributes soft drinks, and packages and wholesales bagged and blocked ice. The company employs 99 people in the Tyler area.

Tyler Beverages, located at 1839 W. Gentry Pkwy. in Tyler, previously received the Lone Star Safety Award in 2016, 2019 and 2022. The company also received the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) designation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2019, 2021 and 2023. The Lone Star Safety Program and the SHARP award recognize small, private-sector Texas employers who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to workplace safety and can serve as role models for other companies.

“Tyler Beverages shows a strong commitment to safety by involving both management and employees in safety rules, regular training, and careful investigations,” said DWC Workplace Safety Director Chris D’Amura. “We are happy to recognize their safety efforts for the third time.”

Do you know a company with an excellent safety program? Nominate them for the Lone Star Safety Award. Employers must have a proven safety program, injury incidence rates below the national average for the last three years, and no work-related fatalities within the prior 12 months. For more information, call 800-252-7031, option 2, or visit www.tdi.texas.gov/wc/safety/lonestarsfty.html.

For more information, contact: DWCCommunications@tdi.texas.gov.