Chamber Blog Post - Clay Melder
By Clay Melder
VP | Relationship Manager, Corporate Healthcare & Not For Profit Banking, Amegy Bank
As the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 10-Year Anniversary and A Decade of Impact, we are honored to share reflections from members, partners, and leaders whose journeys have been shaped by connection, visibility, and community.
In this guest blog, Clay Melder, VP | Relationship Manager, Corporate Healthcare & Not For Profit Banking with Amegy Bank, reflects on his own decade of growth — from BRG leadership and business engagement to civic service, friendship, and belonging — and the role the Chamber has played in helping him find both purpose and people.
2026 feels like a year of milestones.
Ten years in Houston.
Ten years at Amegy Bank.
Ten years of knowing Tammi Wallace and the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.
If you had shown me a crystal ball back in 2016 with a glimpse into who I’d become by now, I would have shaken my head in disbelief. In so many ways, the life I’m living today exists because of the Chamber.
How It Started
In late 2016, Robert Hahn and Catherine Morse—who chaired Amegy Bank’s newly formed LGBTQ Business Resource Group (BRG)—asked me to co-chair the BRG’s Marketplace Committee. At the time, the LGBTQ BRG was the newest. I quickly learned that Amegy was a founding corporate partner of the Chamber (now an Impact Partner), and there was a strong desire for bankers to engage meaningfully with the Chamber and its leadership.
The Marketplace Committee would be central to that effort. I expected responsibility; I didn’t expect how natural the relationships would feel. I came to know local leaders, board members, partners, and Chamber staff not because I had to—but because it was easy.
People wanted to engage. They wanted to build community. They wanted to support local businesses and our local economy. That kind of energy is contagious.
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| Presenting Tammi Wallace with framed CanvasRebel article as a surprise gift, Fall 2022 | 2022 Chamber holiday party hosted at Amegy On Main | Alberto and I walking in the 2024 Galveston Pride Parade with the Chamber |
Leading Through Crisis
By 2020, I stepped into the co-chair role of the BRG as a whole—just as the world turned upside down.
Amegy was soon knee-deep in PPP loans, working day and night to support clients through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.
True to form, the Chamber reached out—not with demands, but with a focus on supporting its members, partners, and community:
How can we partner to help our members?
How can we support you as BRG leaders?
How can we help Amegy show up for the community?
Working closely with Tammi and the Chamber, we became a key resource for members navigating PPP funding—especially those stuck in limbo at larger institutions. Being even a small part of helping business owners rest a little easier during such an unprecedented moment remains one of my proudest experiences.
Finding My Leadership Voice
In mid-2021, I assumed the role of BRG Chair. Coming out of the pandemic and into that level of leadership was intimidating. One of my first moves? Call Tammi. I knew she would gladly listen and provide useful advice on purposefully steering our BRG.
Those early conversations became part therapy, part coaching, and part masterclass in leading with impact. And by “impact,” I mean real impact—within the BRG, the bank, and the broader Houston community.
Other BRG leaders often asked how we kept our members so engaged or how we created so many opportunities for bankers to connect with the community.
My answer was always the same: the Chamber.
We had incredible colleagues, rockstar founding chairs, and supportive executive leadership—but the Chamber was the oil in our engine.
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| 2023 HBJ Diversity in Business Awards with Tammi Wallace, and Amegy’s CEO, Steve Stephens | Showing off my “MELDER 14” Astros Jersey, gifted to me by the Chamber in recognition of our continued partnership. | BRG leaders, Lady Shamu, and Tammi Wallace at Amegy’s 2023 Donation Drive for OpenGate Homeless Ministries, hosted by Lady Shamu, held at Amegy Tower |
During my time as Chair (2021–late 2023), we saw extraordinary growth and outcomes:
- Rapid BRG membership growth
- Donation drives benefiting small, local nonprofits—hosted by community drag performers—that raised more than $15,000
- The honor of hosting the Chamber’s holiday party
- Amegy becoming the first bank to join at the “Equity Investor” level
- Multiple OutSmart Magazine awards recognizing the bank and BRG for our community presence
- Tangible business development driven by Chamber relationships and events
In 2023, I was honored to be named a Houston Business Journal Diversity Champion through a Chamber nomination, and our BRG received Employee Resource Group of the Year at the Pride In Business Awards—complete with a KHOU11 spotlight. To this day, I still get emotional watching that segment and credit these honors to the extraordinary folks involved in Amegy’s LGTBQ BRG over the years.
When I passed the reins to new leadership to focus on other initiatives, I had complete confidence that our relationship with the Chamber would continue strong. Spoiler alert: it has.
Beyond the Office
Up to this point, much of the impact had been professional. But I want to pause here and separate Clay from Amegy—because the Chamber’s influence on my life goes far deeper than work.
Some of my dearest friendships in Houston came through the Chamber.
I found a sense of family and belonging.
I became connected to civic leaders, elected officials, nonprofit organizations, and business owners who genuinely want to make this city better.
After stepping back from BRG leadership, I felt called to focus more on civic engagement and public service. I shared that desire openly—with Tammi especially. Soon enough, I found myself in rooms with councilmembers, city leaders, and county officials. Through Chamber discussions, I learned there was a real desire to see more LGBTQ Houstonians serving on boards and commissions. I handed Tammi my résumé, trusting that if the right opportunity came along, she’d think of me.
In early 2025, she introduced me to Council Member Mario Castillo. Mario and I discussed my interests, my openness, and my desire to serve. A few months later, I received a call from Mayor Whitmire’s office—not just asking me to join Houston’s LGBTQ Mayoral Advisory Board, but to chair it.
When I asked who recommended me, I already knew the answer.
Tammi. Mario. And others I’d met through the Chamber.
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| Me and Tammi Wallace, Amegy suite’s, Astros - 2023 | Tammi and her wife, Mercedes Leal, at Alberto’s graduation party (Go Coogs!), December 2023 | Alberto and I volunteering with the Chamber, 2025 PrideFest |
I said yes, hoping to help build a coalition of leaders and community members committed to connection, resources, and civic engagement—especially in a time when showing up can feel daunting, but is more necessary than ever. To this day, Tammi, Mario, Avery Belyeu, Diana Patino, and so many others remain trusted advisors, sounding boards, and friends.
Community, When It Matters Most
In the latter half of 2025, my partner Alberto and I experienced some deeply challenging moments that reminded us how real—and how rare—true community is.
In September, our Italian Greyhound, Demi, escaped from our home. We were devastated. She’s family. What happened next still humbles me: Chamber members and leaders shared posts, searched lost-dog pages, walked our neighborhood, and showed up at our door to help. Two long days later, Demi was found—thanks to sightings generated by signs and social media.
Then, in late December, our home was burglarized while we were out of town. Our sense of safety—and our holiday spirit—were shaken.
Once again, the Chamber community showed up. Not just with words, but with action.
With generosity. With care we never expected but will never forget.
Those terrifying, uncertain experiences became a reminder of something simple and powerful: we are surrounded by an army of people who genuinely care.
Looking Back—and Forward
When I reflect on the last ten years, I don’t wonder where the time went. I wonder how I grew so much—how I became a more confident leader, connector, and advocate.
In a climate where empathy, courage, and community feel increasingly rare yet urgently necessary, I’m proud to show up with those values. And I can tell you exactly where it all began—where I found my purpose and my people.
At the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce.
Thank you, Clay.
We are deeply grateful to Clay Melder for sharing this reflection and for the many ways he has supported, championed, and shown up for the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce over the years.
Clay’s leadership, generosity, and commitment to community reflect the very best of what it means to be part of the Chamber. From his work through Amegy Bank’s LGBTQ BRG to his civic leadership and continued advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, Clay has helped strengthen the connections, partnerships, and sense of belonging that make this work so meaningful.
Thank you, Clay, for believing in the Chamber, investing in our mission, and helping build an economy where everyone belongs. We are proud to celebrate your leadership and grateful to have you as part of our Chamber family.
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| Volunteering with the Chamber at the 2024 Holiday Food & Supply Drive. | Amegy’s LGTBQ BRG leadership receiving “Corporate ERG of the Year,” 2023 Pride In Business Awards |
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| Amegy’s LGTBQ BRG leaders and members participating in Chamber volunteer event at Buffalo Bayou, 2024 | Attending the March 2026 3rd Thursday Breakfast at Cadillac, hosted by the Chamber, with United Against Human Trafficking’s CEO, Timeka Walker. As vice-chair of their board, it was my honor to sponsor their chamber membership. |
