The Conroe/Lake Conroe Chamber of Commerce hosted a Hail and Farewell reception at Conroe Tower Jan. 3, giving one last hurrah to outgoing elected officials and welcoming newly sworn in officials.

Representatives from the offices of U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, Senator Ted Cruz and Senator John Cornyn attended. Numerous local elected officials also attended, including state Rep. Will Metcalf, R-Conroe, Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough, Tax Assessor Tammy McRae, Treasurer Melanie Bush, Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley, Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Matt Beasley, Conroe Mayor Toby Powell and Montgomery ISD trustee Linda Porten.

"I'll tell you we have got so much on our plate right now, we've got infrastructure we're building," Powell said. "We've got everything people want and need ... just the quality of life. We want to continue to make sure our citizens are protected, secure ... and we just know we're going to have a great year."