Quasar Award winner Dr. Renu Khator and her husband, Dr. Suresh Khator, right, chat with Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa and her husband, attorney Coe Miles, at the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Quasar Banquet Jan. 17 at South Shore Harbour.
UH president is Quasar Award winner
QUASAR AWARD honoree Dr. Renu Khator is just as impressive in person as is her record as president of the University of Houston System and the University.
Just ask any of the 600 at the Jan. 17 Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership Quasar Banquet who sat in stunned silence as she ticked off a few of her accomplishments over the past six years – accomplishments that generally take much longer.
Besides overseeing the expansion of UH-Clear Lake and UH-Victoria to four-year institutions, UH has experienced record-breaking research funding, enrollment and private donations, launched a 75-acre Energy Research Park that is part of a $1 billion campus construction program and, oh yes, been designated a Tier One research university by the Carnegie Foundation.
She no doubt was as stunned as her Quasar audience to learn on taking the job that UH did not offer a degree in petroleum engineering – in a city considered the petroleum capital of the world. That was a quick fix and today UH has about 500 students in that program.
And, what an audience she had: dozens of public officials and the heads of many of Bay Area Houston’s top businesses and education institutions and their spouses.
Congressmen John Culberson, Pete Olson and Randy Weber were in the crowd that also included State Sen. Sylvia Garcia, State Reps. John Davis, Greg Bonnen, Mary Ann Perez and Ed Thompson, Galveston County Judge Mark Henry and County Commissioners Ken Clark and Ryan Dennard, Harris County Tax Assessor Mike Sullivan, Constable Phil Sandlin and Judge Holly Williamson.
Plus Superintendents Dr. Greg Smith of Clear Creek ISD and Trish Hanks of Friendswood ISD, UH-Clear Lake President Dr. Bill Staples, retired UH President Dr. Glenn Goerke, CCISD Trustee Dee Scott and San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer, who is the new BAHEP chairman.
Mayors Tim Paulissen of League City, Floyd Myers of Webster, Glenn Royal of Seabrook, Julie Masters of Dickinson and Louis Rigby of La Porte, were in the crowd, as were Mayors Pro-tem David Braun of Nassau Bay, Carl Joiner of Kemah, Laura Davis of Seabrook, Andy Mann of League City, Alexandra Dietrich of Webster, Jay Martin of La Porte and Jim Hill of Friendswood, plus Nassau Bay City Manager Chris Reed.
City councilors included Dave Martin and Jack Christie of Houston, John Amdur and Bob Warters of Nassau Bay, Gary Johnson, Robert Llorente and Mike Giagrosso of Seabrook, Chuck Engelken of La Porte, Cody Wheeler of Pasadena, Pat McGinnis and Carl Gustafson of Friendswood, the Rev. William King of Dickinson, Joanna Dawson, Todd Kinsey and Geri Bentley of League City, Diane Newland, Larry Tosto, Doug North, Bill Jones and Natalie Dolan of Webster.
They mingled with a crowd that included Johnson Space Center Director Dr. Ellen Ochoa; the 2013 Quasar Award winner, developer Fred Griffin; Jacobs Engineering GM Lon Miller, GB Tech President Gale Burkett, Barrios Technology President Sandy Johnson, Space Center Houston President Richard Allen, MaximGroup President Ron Masters, Oceaneering Space Systems GM Mike Bloomfield, Boeing GM John Elbon, Lockheed Martin VP Rick Hieb, Norman Frede Chevrolet GM Joan McKinney, Moody Bank President Victor Pierson and Capital Bank President Paul Maaz and their spouses and dates.
MEI Technologies CEO David Cazes was in the mix, as were Houston Airport Systems Director Mario Diaz, Clear Lake Chamber President Cindy Harreld, MRI VP Tim Kropp, GeoControl Systems Partner Rosanne Zarcaro, Chemical Process Plant Manager Greg Ploss, Minuteman Press President Jim Sweeney, Texas A&M-Galveston Professor Dr. Jim Merrell, Griffin Communications’ Gwen Griffin and Jeff and Mengo Carr, Space City Films owner Marcus Havican, Dr. Bernie Milstein, San Jac Vice Chancellor Teri Crawford, and attorneys Joe Barlow, Dick Gregg Jr., Dick Gregg III and Chris Gregg.
Some of the others BAHEP President Bob Mitchell and his wife, Brenda, welcomed were Bernie and Debbie Roan, astronaut Bill McArthur, former astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, BayTran President Barbara Koslov, Drew and Sandy Lewis, Pat and Wendell Wilson, Emmeline Dodd and Gene Hollier, Shari Wilkins, who sang America the Beautiful, and husband, John; Dennis and Eliza Paul, Marilyn and Billy Burt, Steve and Keri Owens, Mike and Mimi Huss, Steve and Monica Jackson, Alberto and Eva deCardenas, Leslie and Ted Cummings, Sue and Jack Garman, Karen and Mark Keesler, and Holly and Mike Kincaid.
Mary Ellen Arledge, right, catch up on each other’s news during the Jan. 17 Lakewood Yacht Club Ladies Association installation luncheon.
Ladies Association taps Roz Clayton
ROZ CLAYTON, new president of the Lakewood Yacht Club Ladies Association, took office, along with the other officials, at their annual installation luncheon Jan. 17 at the club as new Commodore Tom Collier and the other flag officers joined them for the special occasion.
Serving with her for the coming year are Vice President Evey Leavens, Secretary Barbara Gessner, Treasurer Marilyn Mitchell and Fleet Captain Amy Dunphey.
Committee members include Sandy Lewis, Rita Matthews, Joy Edwards, Elaine Keith, Barbara Duckworth, Kerry Jo Humphrey, Elizabeth Morrell, Kathy Hall, Janet Starr-Hale, Roxanne Spalding, Marion Dehart, Ruthie Zittrer, Joyce Lindsay, Ann Palm. Carol Robinson, Barbara White, Johnette Norman, Sue Clements, Sherri Romer, Judith Shaw, Susan Allen, Mary Ellen Arledge, Jan Smith, Faye Cutter, Stacie Covington, Sue Warters and Mary Moorehead.
Garden club sets style show date
Nancy Guthrie, left, and Audrey Legendre work on the upcoming Nassau Bay Garden Club luncheon and style show Friday, March 28, at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook.
THE NASSAU BAY Garden Club will be “Celebrating 50 years of Flowers, Friendship and Fun” at its luncheon and style show Friday, March 28, at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook.
Club members will model fashions from Dillard’s at Baybrook Mall.
The celebration begins at 10:30 a.m. with Nancy Guthrie and Audrey Legendre co-chairing the event.Tickets, which are $50 per person, may be purchased by mailing checks and reservation lists to: Nassau Bay Garden Club, P.O. Box 580341, Nassau Bay, TX 77258-0341
Call 281-333-4662 for more information.
