Q&A: What is Daikin?

Daikin Park is officially the new name of the Houston Astros baseball stadium, but did you know that Daikin is also the largest employer in Precinct 4? We sat down with Kristi Pittman, Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Daikin, to talk about Daikin’s contribution to not only the City of Waller, but also all of Precinct 4. 


What does Daikin do?


Daikin is the world’s largest air conditioning manufacturer. We employ almost 100,000 employees globally, and we have over 10,000 team members in the Greater Houston area.


Why did Daikin choose to open Daikin Texas Technology Park (DTTP) in Waller?


Daikin has a philosophy of creating manufacturing sites near where the business is located. Our original company was founded in Houston, and Waller made sense because we needed a big footprint for our manufacturing facility. This location also provided us access to local workers and worked well logistically as it’s close to our shipping routes and customers.


Can you tell me about the program that sponsors Waller ISD kids to go to Japan? 


The Cultural Exchange Program has been around in Daikin for many, many years.


Kids that are interested in going to Japan write an essay, go through an interview process, and then they're selected by our senior leadership. Once they're selected, they get to go to Japan for 10 days to see many of the sites, understand the culture, experience the food, but also to connect with Daikin employees in Japan who really enjoy showing off their country and their culture. The kids absolutely love it, and it has really opened up their imagination and given them possibilities about where they could go in life.


Can you tell me about sponsoring the Waller High School football stadium?


That was a really exciting opportunity for us. From the very beginning, when we moved into DTTP in 2016, we started this relationship with Waller High School in small ways, and that relationship has really blossomed in all of the schools. We feel really connected to all of the things going on in Waller, and just to be a part of a place where memories happen and families come together for something like football in Texas — what better place to have your name than on a building like that?


Can you tell me about the Adopt A County Mile program? 


We've been a part of Adopt a County Mile since we moved into this facility. It goes back to Daikin’s roots of being in the community.


With that particular program, we actually involve our interns. We have a big intern program, and that's one of their core community projects that we encourage them to do when they're here. As an intern, it gives them a sense of what Daikin’s all about. To be a good Daikin team member, you need to have that volunteerism and community spirit.


We enjoy being able to partner with Precinct 4 and help keep our roads clean. 


Tell me about the snack packs you helped deliver alongside Precinct 4. 


That was actually such a fun event. I think so many of our employees enjoyed being able to participate in such an important project. We set an assembly line similar to what we have here at DTTP, and we had volunteers from all of our business units sign up to come and pack 10,000 snack packs that we were able to deliver to Precinct 4.


Precinct 4 then distributed them throughout all of the different community groups that support these after school activities. It was probably one of the most enjoyable and highly participated events that we've had with our team members.


Daikin Park is the new name of the Astros stadium starting January 1st. What do you want Astros fans to know about this change?


We are so excited about this partnership with the Houston Astros.


I'm a native Houstonian, so for me personally, it's an amazing opportunity. I'm just so thrilled. What we really want through this partnership is for people just to get to know Daikin. The Daikin name is still a little bit unknown in our community and even on the national stage. We're really hoping that people will really tune in and get to know Daikin, look us up, and figure out who we are.


But we want them to know that we are great community partners, and that we really care about the work that we do here and the contributions that we make both to society and to our communities.

Calling all bird lovers: Celebrate National Bird Day at Kleb Woods in Precinct 4

By lbpxwhkvndfqycdw2mh3 • January 3, 2025
Every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., a small group of people, binoculars in hand, set out on the nearly 0.75-mile trail at Precinct 4’s Kleb Woods Nature Center. The trail is quiet. The only thing the visitors can hear is the soft hum of the highway and the crunch of leaves under their feet. But, if they’re still, they can hear what they came for—the occasional chirp of a bird hiding in the brush or flitting between the trees. Every year, thousands of people visit Kleb Woods, located between Hockley and Tomball, with the hope of spotting some of the more than 200 bird species that live in the Harris County area. The center hosts both weekly bird walks and an annual hummingbird festival in September. On a weekly bird walk in the winter, visitors can spot anything from sedge wrens and rufous hummingbirds to orange-crowned warblers, cedar waxwings, and great-horned owls. When someone spots a bird, they get to add it to the running list of nearly 50 recent bird sittings on the center’s wall.

2024 Year in Review: Harris County Precinct 4 Delivers Progress

December 23, 2024
Residents in Harris County Precinct 4—from Katy to Tomball to Spring Branch, all the way up to Hockley and Waller—have seen major changes in their neighborhoods. Commissioner Lesley Briones and her team of over 460 public servants dedicated 2024 to addressing urgent needs while laying a strong foundation for the future. From responding to disasters, to building sidewalks, to securing free healthcare, the Precinct 4 team is improving lives today while preparing for tomorrow. “Each and every day, my team and I work to prove that government can deliver for the people,” said Commissioner Lesley Briones. “We hustle for our residents because they deserve nothing less. In 2024, we expanded critical services, strengthened community partnerships, and connected with every corner of the Precinct. I am energized to ramp up our efforts even further next year.” Here are some key highlights from 2024 and the difference they’ve made in our communities: Justice and Safety Invested in key areas of Harris County’s Criminal District Courts to make the justice system more efficient and fairer, benefitting victims, defendants, and their families Expanded support for domestic violence survivors through funding for children exposed to DV , yearly investment in the Domestic Violence Assistance Fund, a new community outreach and education campaign, and a $1 million award to the Houston Area Women’s Center Strengthened law enforcement by adding funding for the TeleDeputy and VIPER programs into the county’s annual budget to reduce response times and target violent offenders Infrastructure Secured voter approval for Flood Control District Proposition A , ensuring repairs and upgrades to aging flood control infrastructure across the County Allocated $20M for n ew sidewalks to connect children and families to schools, work, places of worship and more Cleared several thousand truckloads of debri s while providing direct assistance to residents in need Invested $48 million in sustainable infrastructure across Precinct 4 through 2024 Places 4 People Health Launched a free health clinic with Baylor College of Medicine for teens and young adults ages 13-24, offering immunizations, sick visits, physicals, contraception, and mental health counseling Opened La Tiendita at Bayland Community Center to bring free, high-quality food, nutrition education, and other resources Installed four lactation pods in county court buildings to provide nursing parents a private place to pump Planted 1,200 trees in Alief through the Barbara Quattro Forest initiative to cool one of the hottest neighborhoods in Houston Education and Economic Opportunity Invested an additional $6.7 million into countywide apprenticeship program , bringing the total to $17.6 million in federal funds —the county’s largest-ever investment in paid training for quality union jobs Created a $17 million small business loan fund to support community growth Hosted over a dozen small business workshops to help business owners learn more about county contracts Good Government Approved a $2.67 billion budget after holding five town halls to gather community input, funding critical services like roads, drainage, law enforcement, and more Hosted six listening tours across the Precinct to hear residents’ ideas, concerns, and suggestions Increased property tax exemption for homeowners who are 65+ and/or disabled from $275,000 to $320,000 and exempted qualifying childcare centers from 100% of their County property taxes Received a $11.3 million National Park Service grant to improve Burnett Bayland Park In the Community Offered free summer programming to hundreds of children at Precinct parks and community centers Allowed the sale of fireworks for Diwali for the first time Showcased student artists through Precinct 4 bus design contest Precinct 4 is here to serve you. As we reflect on 2024’s progress, we are already planning for an even brighter future in 2025. Make it your New Year’s resolution to explore everything Precinct 4 has to offer—because when we invest in our communities, we all thrive.

New soccer pitch and clinics at Freed Park expand opportunity for young players

December 19, 2024
Growing up, Houston Dash superstars Michelle Alozie, Jane Campbell, and Paige Nielsen didn’t always have easy access to soccer fields. From climbing fences to playing against walls, they managed to find space anywhere they could just to get some touches on the ball. Now, thanks to a partnership with the Dynamo & Dash Charities and Chevron, Precinct 4 is working to make the world’s most popular sport more accessible for the next generation. In early December, Commissioner Lesley Briones unveiled a state-of-the-art mini-pitch at Freed Park in the heart of Spring Branch, offering the community a dedicated space to play, practice, and connect. More than just building pitches, the collaboration is creating lasting opportunities for local youth—especially for young girls. "We’re coming together so we can make the community better for you, because that’s what you deserve,” Commissioner Briones said, addressing the young soccer clinic attendees. “I’m a mom of three little girls, and to see you here and know that every time I come to Freed, I will see you and your families playing—this is building community unity.” The Houston Dash’s Goals for Girls program hosts free soccer clinics for girls ages 6-14, in partnership with Chevron. While young players scrimmaged against the Dash players, Valerie Holland, executive director of Dynamo & Dash Charities, shared how this initiative helps girls feel confident stepping into the sport. “It’s really important to get girls into playing soccer. We’re really proud to have the Houston Dash, which is the only professional women's soccer team in the state of Texas.” Holland said. "Getting to see our Dash players out here today [at the clinic] also encourages them, and getting to meet some of their heroes here in a park is really fun, too." Irene Flores, corporate affairs advisor at Chevron, added that with over 7,000 employees who live and work in Houston, the company was proud to give back and bring opportunities to kids in Spring Branch that they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Growing the game The Freed Park mini-pitch joins a growing network of pitches, including two at Burnett Bayland Park, that serve as community hubs. Situated near Freed’s grass fields, the pitch offers an all-weather training ground for players to hone their skills. Houston Dash forward Michelle Alozie noted how this type of pitch provides a unique advantage for developing players. "This surface is definitely faster,” Alozie said. “I wish I had this growing up, because I would be [a] really technical [player] ... Then when you transition to grass, it's so much easier, and everything slows down there for you. It definitely helps people develop and grow when they get onto the grass field.” In the United States, having a space to play soccer isn't a given. Dash goalkeeper Jane Campbell, who has traveled the world as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT), said that goals at soccer fields are often rented or owned by someone, making them less available to the public compared to equipment like basketball hoops. "If you look at any other country in the world, there's some form of soccer pitch available to the public, and I think that is definitely lacking the United States,” Campbell said. “[Having pitches like this] would definitely grow our game as a whole.” Inspiring the next generation For defender Paige Nielsen, growing up in Nebraska meant even fewer opportunities to play soccer. Cornfields, not soccer fields, were the norm in her hometown. At the same time, Nielsen said there generally weren’t a lot of opportunities for women to play sports. She credits her passion for soccer to a chance encounter with USWNT legend Mia Hamm, who inspired her as a child. “When I went to a game where the [USWNT] played at the University of Nebraska, Mia Hamm spoke and said, ‘You could become a professional one day, too,’” Nielsen recalled. “And it was my dream to go to [the University of] North Carolina since I was five. I drew myself in [Hamm’s] jersey, and I was able to walk on [to the team]. [Her appearance at community events] impacted me at a young age. I can’t imagine how far that will go for a lot of the young kids we have here today.” The Freed Park pitch arrives at an exciting time as Houston prepares to host games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It represents not just a place to play, but also a commitment to expanding opportunities for young players to discover the sport, develop their skills, and build confidence on and off the field. “[Soccer] changes people's lives. You go through adversity, you overcome so many battles, you fail over and over and over again, and it's almost congratulated in a sport, but maybe not in a classroom,” Nielsen said. “[Soccer] teaches you so many things, and also as a kid, it makes you feel welcomed and embraced for whoever you are."
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