Fairmont Dallas is proud to introduce Adam Reson as the hotel’s new Executive Chef.

Chef Adam Reson’s culinary journey was first ignited with a childhood passion for cooking, sparking a fiery dream to become a master chef. A proud native of North Texas, Reson is on a relentless quest to elevate regional flavors, passionately sourcing the freshest ingredients from the fertile Texas Hill Country — juicy peaches, succulent stone fruits, and prime Texan-raised cattle and game. His dishes, while deeply rooted in Texan tradition, are infused with a vibrant International flair, thanks to his globe-trotting adventures, especially his gastronomic escapades in France. This dynamic blend of local and global flavors makes every bite an unforgettable experience.

Chef Reson began his career at Fairmont Dallas as a culinary intern and previously served as the hotel’s Executive Sous Chef, consistently showcasing his talent in crafting unique cuisines that captivate guests.  

“I look forward to continuing my career at Fairmont Dallas and further strengthening the hotel’s role in the local dining scene,” Chef Reson said. “I am eager to bring my innovative approaches to our wonderful culinary team.”

Before returning to Fairmont Dallas, Chef Reson served as Chef de Partie, Sous Chef, and later Chef De Cuisine at FL.2 Modern American within Fairmont Pittsburgh.

“I enjoy pushing boundaries and ensuring exceptional gastronomic experiences for our guests,” Chef Reson said. “I am eager to embody the essence of the Fairmont brand values in culinary creations to provide the best experience possible for our hotel guests and locals.”

Chef Reson embodies a philosophy of simple elegance, aiming to deliver effortlessly sophisticated cuisine to a discerning city. He is looking forward to implementing a new dining program at the hotel’s signature restaurant, the Pyramid Restaurant and Bar, in the elite urban setting of the Dallas Arts District. In addition to developing menus for the Pyramid, Chef Reson will oversee catering options available in the hotel’s 70,000 square feet of meeting space including the iconic Venetian Room.

Pyramid Restaurant and Bar is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, serving a variety of dishes inspired by Texas growers and regional vendors.

Galleria Dallas is always evolving, opening its doors to new retailers and restaurants and installing updates throughout the 1.9 million square foot venue. Now, the shopping center announces a new anchor, a hotly anticipated entertainment venue.

Netflix House, a permanent entertainment venue, will be an unforgettable experience featuring your favorite Netflix stories and characters beyond the screen year-round. At Netflix House, you can enjoy regularly updated immersive experiences with your friends and family, indulge in retail therapy and taste your favorite Netflix series and films through unique food and drink offerings. This will be the first Netflix House in Texas, and only one of two to be announced in the United States. Netflix House is expected to open in fall 2025.

“Welcoming Netflix House to Galleria Dallas allows the center to sit at the forefront of the experiential economy, which is such a key aspect of retail today,” said Galleria Dallas General Manager Angie Freed.  “We’re focused on giving our guests the best possible experience as they shop, dine and spend time with friends and family.”

Netflix House is currently undergoing construction on two floors of the anchor space on the northwest side of the shopping center.

About Galleria Dallas 

Galleria Dallas is an iconic shopping center with a unique collection of more than 200 retailers, restaurants and experiences including Nordstrom, Macy’s, the world’s only GAP, Banana Republic and Old Navy combo anchor, The Westin Galleria Dallas and the signature Galleria Ice Skating Center. Welcoming more than 12 million visitors annually, only Galleria Dallas delivers the consummate Dallas shopping experience. Visit galleriadallas.com for hours and to learn more about the shopping center. Galleria Dallas is owned by MetLife Investment Management, managed by Trademark Property Group, Inc.  Galleria Dallas, 13350 Dallas Parkway, Dallas, Texas, 75240.

For Social Media:  @GalleriaDallas #GalleriaDallas @galleriadallasiceskating #galleriadallasiceskating

Shelton Executive Director Emeritus Joyce Pickering and Associate Head of School Amy Cushner are featured in a Greenspring Center for Lifelong Learning podcast on "Early Signs of Learning Differences to Look for in the Primary Classroom." Pickering and Cushner outline development during the Primary years, emphasizing the importance of early identification and intervention for children with learning differences. They highlight how Montessori materials and lessons can be adapted to support diverse learners and caution against a "wait and see" approach, which can result in missed opportunities for early intervention and additional suffering for the child. Instead, they recommend implementing adaptive strategies as soon as a child is identified as at risk, ensuring that the child receives necessary support. 

Dr. Joyce Pickering is a 50-year Montessorian, speech and language pathologist, and learning disabilities specialist who has devoted her life to addressing the needs of students with learning differences. She is the author of "Montessori Strategies for Children with Learning Differences: The MACAR Model," with Sylvia O. Richardson, M.D. 

Amy Cushner is certified in Sequential English Education and the Association Method programs for the remediation of written language disorders, as well as advanced levels of Montessori Applied to Children at Risk. Amy holds a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, Montessori-credentialed (E1) MACTE, is a Licensed Dyslexia Therapist (Texas), Certified Academic Language Therapist, QI, and has worked at the Shelton School for 30 years.

Listen to the podcast at this link.

A new foster parent resource has launched as part of a foster parent awareness campaign to recruit loving foster homes in Metroplex East, a nine-county region in North Texas including Dallas, Collin, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall. 

There are currently over 2,000 children in foster care within the Metroplex East region and a shortage of foster homes. To fulfill the need of finding more loving homes for children, EMPOWER is launching the Empower Dreams, Foster Futures awareness campaign to inform the Metroplex East community about the life-changing impact to children by becoming a foster parent. The newly developed online toolkit of information for prospective foster parents has been created to help those interested find support and the best placement agency tailored to their unique needs.

Finding the right support and tools when embarking on the journey to become a licensed foster parent is paramount. This user-friendly, intuitive platform is tailored to help navigate the process with ease and precision. Families and individuals can find foster home providers based on proximity to location, specialties and categories, and counties served. 

Due to instability and other factors, children in foster care face higher rates of poverty, incarceration, and mental health issues. Loving foster families play a huge role in making a difference in the lives of these children. Foster parents often provide a safe and nurturing base for children during a short time while agencies are advocating for and with their biological families, with the end goal of children reuniting with their family or primary caregiver. 

“All children deserve a loving home to experience stability, whether it is for a short time or an extended period,” says Dr. Linda Garcia, Senior Vice President of EMPOWER. “There is a great need for more foster parents in North Texas to provide safe and stable environments for children in our communities. We hope that those that are able will consider becoming a licensed foster parent. We see the difference these families make in the lives and futures of children every day.”

EMPOWER is a nonprofit child welfare collaborative and the Community-Based Care contractor for the Metroplex East region in North Texas. EMPOWER provides foster care case management, kinship and reunifications services for all children and families in the region.

The Metroplex East region’s new foster parent online resource features different agencies and organizations to help families walk through the process of becoming a foster parent, support them through each placement and provide training services to help foster families improve and learn new parenting techniques. The process to become a licensed foster parent is broken into three main steps, each with supportive materials, including:

• Step One - Finding the right foster care provider agency. 

• Step Two - Walking through the process of becoming a foster parent with the chosen agency and receiving support with the required documents, training, home studies, background checks, and references. 

• Step Three - After becoming a licensed foster parent, the next step is to receive a first placement where case workers will be available to help at all times. Foster families will also continue to complete foster parent training hours each year they are licensed to help them improve and learn new parenting skills. 

“Though it surely has challenges, it’s important to remember healing is not linear,” says Kayla and Joseph Liz, licensed foster parents with CK Family Services’ Treatment Foster Care Program. “With every challenge overcome brings a greater reward. It’s been very fulfilling having the opportunity to change someone’s life around for the better.”

Foster care journeys are a life changing experience for both the foster families and the children. Deciding to become a foster parent is the first step in making a lasting impact on the lives of children. 

There are many local children in foster care in need of a safe, loving place to call home. To learn more about becoming a foster parent and other ways individuals and families can help these children in need, please visit 3empower.org/fosterfutures.

Online banking allows you to access your money with just the click of a mouse or a tap of your finger. But that ease of entry can also give fraudsters a way into your personal information without you even realizing it. If you’ve ever been a victim of a fraud scam, you know the sinking feeling. That’s why it’s important to create as many safeguards as possible to protect your bank account from fraudsters. To start, educate yourself on what you’re up against. Fraudsters use many different techniques to gain access to your information. This might include:

• Phishing

This scam uses fake emails and/or websites posing as legitimate and trusted organizations to fool you into divulging personal financial information that is then used to commit identity theft or other types of fraud. Voice Phishing (Vishing) more specifically refers to a scam done over the phone in order to fool you into giving out personal information.

• Smishing

Fraudsters send a linkless text message claiming there’s been a bank transfer from your account. If you answer the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question in the text message, you then receive a phone call almost immediately from a person claiming to be from your bank’s fraud department. They then ask you for your online banking username and tell you to read back the passcode sent to you via text or email. They may claim this is so they can verify you are the accountholder. When the fraudster enters your username into your banking website, he/she initiates the “forgot password” feature, which generates this passcode text message. By giving out this passcode, you allow the fraudster to reset your password and successfully gain access to your account without your knowledge.

• Online Banking Scam

In one version of this scam, fraudsters will contact you via text or email claiming there is fraud on your account. The scammer will request remote access to your computer and then advise you to log into online banking. Once they have access, the fraudster will put up a fake page so you cannot see what they are doing and secretly transfer money out of your account via Zelle®. They could also transfer funds between your accounts and then advise you that you have been refunded more than your fraud, and you need to wire the difference back to them. If the scammer makes a transfer while they have access to your computer and online banking, it will not appear to be suspicious activity to the bank, as it is originating from your normal IP address (your device).

These are just a few common scams used by fraudsters to gain access to your bank account. For a full list of scams, visit PlainsCapital Bank’s Common Fraud Scams page to learn more.

Create a Strong Password

Your password can serve as the first obstacle for fraudsters when it comes to protecting your bank account. Creating one that is strong and unique will make it harder for fraudsters to break in. Consider these tips when choosing a password.

• It should be a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
• Aim to make it at least 12 characters long. The longer, the stronger.
• Try not to use personal information, such as a name, birthdate, address, or pet’s name.
• Avoid common phrases that may be easy to guess.
• Each of your online accounts should have its own unique password.
• Change your passwords regularly.

Protect Your PIN

Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) is the code you enter to access your online banking through an ATM or a debit card transaction. You should never share your PIN with anyone. This includes family members, friends, or bank employees. Avoid writing it down, and make sure to choose a number combination that would not be easy to guess. The bank will never ask for your PIN as a way to verify your identity.

Consider Built-In Security for Banking Devices

Many people access their online banking through their phone or tablets—easy access for you, but also easy access for a fraudster. Built-in security options at your fingertips could add a layer of protection when it comes to protecting your bank account.

• Device Encryption

Encryption changes your data into an unreadable format that can only be accessed with a code or password. By enabling this on your device, you can help protect sensitive information, including your bank account information, if your device were to be lost or stolen.

• Put a Password on Your Device

This may seem obvious, but if you use a smart phone, you should be using a password to lock your screen when it isn’t in use. This prevents other people from gaining easy access to your device.

• Remote Wiping

This feature allows you to erase data, remotely, if your device is lost or stolen.

• Facial Recognition/Fingerprint Scanning

If your device offers facial recognition or fingerprint scanning as a form of access, consider using it. These physical forms of protection are difficult to copy or steal.

Be Cautious of Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi networks at places such as airports, coffee shops, or hotels pose a risk, especially if you’re accessing personal information like a bank account. These public networks are often unsecured, which means anyone on that network can possibly access your data. It’s better to access your online banking on a secure, private network. You may even consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) as added security.

Frequently Monitor Your Bank Account

Keeping a watchful eye on your bank activity will allow you to catch any suspicious transactions quickly. Make it a habit. Review any recurring payments to make sure these are services you still use and authorize. Notify your bank immediately if you see anything suspicious.

Being proactive can help lessen the chance of falling victim to a fraud scam, or worse, a compromised bank account. Keeping your money safe is as important to us as it is to you. PlainsCapital Bank’s Fraud Department provides educational resources for businesses and individuals to help detect and prevent fraud. For more information about our fraud prevention efforts, visit our fraud resources page.