History has a new home, Battleship Texas coming to Galveston
Presented by Tony Gregory, President, Battleship Texas Foundation

Anthony K. (Tony) Gregory 

After growing up in Houston, and attending Lamar High School, Mr. Gregory attended Stanford University, where he graduated in 1970 with a degree in history.  After working in various construction industry jobs, he entered University of Texas Architecture School, graduating in 1976 with a specialty in historic preservation.  For a number of years, he worked in architecture/development/construction roles.  In 1992, leaving the construction industry behind, he founded Cornerstone Automotive, an independent automotive repair shop.  He and his wife went on to build and operate 7 shops across Texas.  The first 3 shops were in Houston, and have now been sold.  The remaining 4 shops are located in San Antonio, Temple, and Round Rock.

Following in his mother’s and grandfather’s footsteps, Mr. Gregory joined the Battleship Texas Foundation as a Board member in 2005.  In 2009, he assumed the role of Chairman of the Board.  In 2019, after receiving a substantial grant from the Texas Legislature to restore the ship, he became the President and CEO.  This lateral move allowed him to spend more time managing the repair/restoration project.

Under his leadership the Foundation successfully moved the USS Texas from San Jacinto State Park to a dry dock at Gulf Copper Shipyard in Galveston in 2022.  The hull has been replaced/repaired and is now substantially water tight. The ship remains in the shipyard, where the topside repairs have just been completed; work on the second deck has started.  Public spaces on the ship will be ready in the fall of 2025.  

Recently, the Port of Galveston approved Pier 15 for a permanent new home port for the TEXAS. This location, which is between two new cruise terminals, will provide great exposure to the millions of Galveston tourists.  The goal is to be at the Pier 15 location by Q1/Q2 of 2026.  

Additionally, the Foundation has operated successfully since 2019 with no every day ticket revenue.  Revenue comes from donations, events, and on-line sales. 

Join Virtually ---> May 8, 2025

Come out for fellowship and fun!

Call/Text Karen at 713-858-6115 with any questions.

Each Month members of the Rotary Club of Houston sponsors a reception for patients and their families who are staying at Rotary House International. 

Volunteers will chat with participants and share their smiles. A small number of volunteers are needed. 

William M. Taggart IV has spent over 35 years working on major projects in deepwater oil/gas, shale oil, copper mining, and refineries.  He is recognized as a subject matter expert on systems that control industrial applications and protect personnel, equipment, and the environment from those industrial processes.  He took those skills and wrote "Fixing America:  An Engineer's Solution to our Social Cultural and Political Problems".  A book that Kirkus Reviews called "A timely, level-headed analysis of America's most polarizing political issues."  This book takes America's problems and analyzes them with a nonpartisan, factual, data-driven approach to reach simple solutions that can be implemented.  The book invites a discussion of the issues that America is grappling with.

You are invited to come be part of our last Fun on the Fifth (Thursday) event for the 2024 - 2025 Rotary year at Paul and Bernice's home. 

We (or rather Paul) will be firing up the grill with all your favorites - hamburgers, hot dogs and all the sides.

Bring your appetite and feel free to bring a dessert (optional, but appreciated)!

Come out for fun and fellowship!

(Address to be provided after registration, but can be found on Club Runner.)

Avalyn Castillo Langemeier 
Foster Global, Partner

Immigration update for friends and family-This presentation will enlighten and surprise you with news you can use immediately especially for traveling domestically and internationally this summer. 
 

Avalyn Castillo Langemeier is a partner at Foster LLP’s Houston office and is Board Certified in Immigration and Nationality Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal: Corporate Immigration, Best Lawyers in America, The Legal 500 Next Generation Partners, and Lawdragon 100 Leading Immigration Lawyers. She also was recognized by Texas Executive Women as a Woman on the Move and by Houston Women’s Magazine as One of 50 Houston Influential Women in 2023.  Avalyn focuses her practice on business and employment immigration and compliance, including visas, permanent residence, and Form I-9 compliance. She is a frequent speaker on immigration.

As we prepare to embark on an exciting new Rotary year together, I want to again extend my heartfelt congratulations and sincere gratitude to each of you for stepping into these vital leadership roles.

I’m truly inspired by the plans already taking shape for the year ahead, and I look forward to building on the strong momentum we’ve gained over the past years. The continued success of our club depends on all of us working together, supporting one another, and staying committed to the values and mission of Rotary as exemplified in the Four-Way Test.

Our first step forward will be the Strategic Planning Session, scheduled ahead of the July 1st start to our Rotary year.  

Thank you again for your dedication and service. I’m excited about what we’ll accomplish together.

Come out for fellowship and fun!

Text/Call Karen with any questions 713-858-6115.

2025 - 2026 Officers

President—Joel Levine
Past President—Karen Sotallaro
President Elect—Tom Vann
Secretary—Kate Gabriele
Treasurer—Dillon Burr
Treasurer Elect—Shahla Mohammad-Hosseini
Sergeant-At-Arms—Connor Grill

2023 - 2026 Directors

Dick Kuriger

2024 - 2027 Directors

Mike Dougherty
Chuck Finnell
Inga Hebdon

2025 - 2028 Directors

Martin Cominsky
Nick Hosn
Jennifer Hudson

Director At Large

Jeff Tallas
 

Full course buffet dinner including Filet Mignon and Lemon Chicken, Appetizer, Salad, Sides, Dessert, Beverages,Coffee and Tea

Cash Bar

Business Casual Attire

We are supporting BEAR (BE A Resource for CPS Kids) Back to School.  

Please bring school supplies ( pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, folders , binders, erasures, glue sticks, etc, ).  

BEAR will have drop boxes for BEAR Back to School at the Installation.  

Each Month members of the Rotary Club of Houston sponsors a reception for patients and their families who are staying at Rotary House International. 

Volunteers will chat with participants and share their smiles. A small number of volunteers are needed. 

Rotary Club of Houston Final Meeting of the 2024 - 2025 Rotary Year

As we close out a successful and impactful Rotary year, we invite all members (and guests) to join us for a special final meeting dedicated to reflection, recognition, and celebration.

Program Highlights:

Year in Review:  A look back at the major accomplishments, service projects, guest speakers, and moments that defined the 2024 - 2025 Rotary year.

Member Recognition & Awards:  Honoring Outstanding Rotarians whose dedication and service exemplify Rotary's values.  

Special Thanks:  Expressions of gratitute to our outgoing officers and board members for their leadership, and a warm welcome to our incoming leadership for 2025 - 2026.

Join us as we celebrate all that we have acheived together and look ahead to another inspiritng year of SERVICE ABOVE SELF.

No Meeting - Several of us will be in Calgary for the Rotary International Convention.

HAVE A HAPPY AND SAFE 4TH OF JULY!

Come out for fellowship and fun!

There will be an area inside downstairs reserved for the Rotary Club of Houston.

Call/text Karen at 713-858-6115 with any questions.

New News....Invite your friends to join you to learn about our club. Networking is encouraged so bring your business cards, or phones if you are paper free.  Learn about multi club monthly Rotary Means Business evening meetings. 

We will review goals for the years, introduce committee chairs to discuss their committees and how members can get involved, and hear your suggestions for service projects, 5th Thursday Social locations, and speakers. 

Have a talent to share at Rotary House? Curious how to get involved with The 52nd Lombardi Award? 
 

Get ready to share the Magic!

Each Month members of the Rotary Club of Houston sponsors a reception for patients and their families who are staying at Rotary House International. 

Volunteers will chat with participants and share their smiles. A small number of volunteers are needed. 

Chris Canetti
President, Houston 2026 World Cup Host Committee

Chris Canetti is President of the Houston 2026 World Cup Host Committee and oversees the city’s plans to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Prior to his current role, Canetti served as President of the Houston 2026 World Cup Bid Committee and led the successful effort to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Houston. Houston was named a FIFA World Cup host city in June of 2022 after a four-year bidding process.

He took on the World Cup Bid Committee role in 2019 after working 19 seasons as an executive in Major League Soccer.

Canetti was with the Houston Dynamo for 13 years and served as club President for eight years. When he stepped down in October 2018, he was the longest tenured club President in Major League Soccer. He joined the Dynamo in its inaugural season of 2006 as the team’s Chief Operating Officer and was promoted to President in 2010. 

He was a part of three championships with the Dynamo, including two MLS Cup titles and one U.S. Open Cup title. During his tenure, the Dynamo made eight playoff appearances, including trips to seven Conference Finals and four MLS Cup Finals.

Canetti has been on the Houston sports scene for more than 19 years and has established a positive reputation locally and nationally. He was listed on the Sports Illustrated 2013 ranking of the “Top 50 Most Powerful People in U.S. Soccer” by Grant Wahl. He was given Honorable Mention by the Houston Chronicle on the “2019 List of Houston’s Top 10 Most Important Sports Figures” and on the “Top 10 Houston Coaches and Executives for Teams of the Decade.”He was also Named “No. 1 Most Powerful Person in Houston” by AXIOS Houston in 2022 and Honorable mention by Houston Chronicle on 2023 List of “Houston’s Top 10 Most Influential Sports Figures”.

Canetti managed the public-private development of Shell Energy Stadium, a state-of-the art venue that opened in 2012. Since then, the stadium has hosted a variety of great events, from Dynamo games to international soccer, rugby, lacrosse, football, and concerts - including hitshows like Ed Sheeran and Kenny Chesney.  He oversaw the 2010 MLS All-Star Game at NRG Stadium that featured Manchester Unitedand attracted a sellout crowd of 70,000 people, making it the fifth-most attended All-Star game in U.S. history at the time.  Canetti’s was responsible for creating the Houston Dash, the city’s professional women’s soccer team.

Canetti serves on or has served on multiple non-profit boards, including the Greater Houston Boys & Girls Clubs, Central Houston, Inc, Dynamo Charities, Greater Houston Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, and the East End Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, he has led several community initiatives in and around Houston.  He has received numerous honors including the Sports Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awardand MLS Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year Award. He was honored by the American Diabetes Association with the Houston Chapter’s “Generosity to Mankind Award.”  His most notable community work was in 2013 when he led the efforts to support Newtown, CTafter the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. Canetti organized “Soccer Night in Newtown” which drew global soccer stars such as Landon Donovan and Mia Hamm and brought together the North American soccer community to provide hope and healing for the town. Canetti remained active in the Newtown community, and, in 2014, he was a recipient of the Charlotte Bacon Act of Kindness Award.

Canetti also spearheaded the Dynamo’s efforts to support first responders by recognizing members of the Newtown, CT and Boston, MA Police Departments after tragedies in its communities. He also led an initiative to support the Houston Fire Department after they lost four members of their squad in a 2013 fire.  Under his leadership, the Dynamo organization contributed to the community’s response after the Hurricane Harvey disaster in 2017. Shell Energy Stadium served as a drop off and distribution point for vital supplies, and the club organized two charitable matches that raised funds for the relief efforts.

He also assisted the Santa Fe (TX) community after a tragic school shooting in 2018, working with a group of Santa Fe High School students to help launch a non-profit organization called Hearts United for Kindness.

Prior to joining the Dynamo, Canetti served as the Assistant General Manager for the New York Red Bulls of MLS. He joined the New York organization in 2000 when it was called the NY/NJ MetroStars. He spent six years with the team in various roles, including Vice President of Marketing & Public Relations.

Ironically, Canetti’s first love was baseball, which he played growing up and in college. After graduation from Quinnipiac University (Hamden, CT) in 1992, he spent six years working with the New Haven Ravens, a Double-A minor league baseball affiliate of the Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies – the last three as the team’s General Manager. He was just 26 when he was promoted to GM, making him the youngest GM in baseball.

Prior to joining the Ravens, Canetti was an Associate Sports Editor for the Shoreline Times in Guilford, CT. He received his bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac and was a four-year letterman for the Bobcats’ baseball team.

He lives in the Houston-area with his wife, Judi, and daughters Kara and Ella.

Join Virtually ---> July 17, 2025

Chief Thomas Muñoz

Houston Fire Department 

Mayor John Whitmire has appointed Thomas Muñoz as the chief of the Houston Fire Department. Muñoz, who retired from HFD as an Assistant Chief, most recently served as the City's Emergency Management Coordinator and the acting Director for the Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Muñoz is a member of FEMA's National Advisory Council and has more than 29 years of experience as a first responder and emergency manager. During his 24 years with

the Houston Fire Department, Muñoz oversaw Homeland Security, Public Affairs, and HAZMAT. Muñoz completed the Executive Leadership and Management Certification

from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza School of Business and is a Homeland Security Executive Leadership Program graduate from the Naval Postgraduate School.

He also completed the Component National Security Course at the National Defense University in Washington, DC.

After retiring from HFD, he served as the Emergency Manager and Homeland Security Director for Texas City before re-joining the City of Houston as Emergency Management Coordinator with the Office of Emergency Management.

Muñoz also retired as Commander from the United States Coast Guard (Reserve) after 21 years of service. While in the United States Coast Guard, he served as the Deputy Incident Commander for the New Orleans Vessel Removal Projects, the Texas City YSpill Liaison, and the Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer during Hurricane Maria in San Juan, PR. In 2007, Muñoz received the Captain Edward R. Williams United States Coast Guard Reserve Award for Excellence. He is also the recipient of five USCG Commendation Medals.

Muñoz holds a Master's degree in Emergency Management and a Master's degree in Homeland Security from American Military University and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Crisis Communications from Texas Tech University. He received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Houston.

Chief Muñoz succeeds Chief Samuel Peña and will be the department's 37th chief since 1895, when the department became non-volunteer. The City of Houston thanks Chief

Pena for his years of dedicated service to the Houston Fire Department.

Tom Kelchner
2025-2026 District Governor

Join the Harrisburg Rotary, Houston Heights Rotary & Rotary Club of Houston to hear Rotary District 5890 Governor present plans and answer your questions. 
 

From his grandfather to charismatic President John F. Kennedy, Tom Kelchner takes inspiration from personal and global leaders. The common denominators among his heroes were their altruistic and modestly humble approach to the world. Actions speak louder than words. He has shown his belief in big action with big rewards throughout his career.

Come out for fellowship and fun with the Rotary Club of Houston!

Call/text Karen at 713-858-6115 with any questions.

Join us to meet Anthony Graves who will present his compelling story of 18 years on death row in Texas before being exonerated. 

Anthony Charles Graves  (born August 29, 1965) is a nationally recognized criminal justice reform advocate, author, and the 138th person exonerated from death row in the United States. Wrongfully convicted at age 26 for a crime he did not commit, Anthony spent 18 and a half years behind bars—12 of those years in solitary confinement on Texas death row—before his conviction was overturned and he was fully exonerated in 2010. His story, marked by resilience and the pursuit of justice, has become a touchstone for reform efforts nationwide.

Following his exoneration, Anthony transformed his trauma into purpose. He is the president and founder of the Peer Navigator Project—an innovative initiative that trains formerly incarcerated individuals to serve as expert partners to criminal defense attorneys and as mentors for returning citizens. Through this program, Peer Navigators are equipped to work alongside legal teams and to support individuals reentering society, providing mentorship and guidance during the crucial first 18 months of freedom. The Peer Navigator Project stands as a model for holistic, lived-experience-driven advocacy and reentry support, with a proven track record of reducing recidivism and improving outcomes for justice-involved individuals.

Anthony’s impact extends beyond direct service. His Emmy Award-winning documentary,  Grave Injustice, chronicles his journey and exposes the systemic failures that lead to wrongful convictions, sparking national dialogue and legislative scrutiny. As a sought-after public speaker and consultant, Anthony has testified before the U.S. Senate, contributed to policy reforms, and educated legal professionals on the realities of wrongful conviction and the urgent need for systemic change.

Currently, Anthony serves as Director of Community Outreach at the Harris County Public Defender’s Office, where he leads efforts to build bridges between the legal system and the communities it serves. In this capacity, he continues to champion the integration of lived experience into defense strategy and reentry programming, ensuring that justice is not only served but also restored.

Born and raised in Brenham, Texas, Anthony is the eldest of five siblings and a proud father of three. His life’s work embodies resilience, hope, and the unwavering belief that justice must be accessible and fair for all. Through his leadership, advocacy, and storytelling, Anthony Graves remains a powerful force for change in the American criminal justice system.

A glimpse of LBJ will include a presentation by LBJ Population Health about Food is Medicine followed by a tour of Food Farmacy and an opportunity to prepare a few food bags for patients from 11:30 am -1:00 pm.  The day will end with a tour of LBJ hospital from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm.

Food Farmacy 

Join us on Thursday, September 4, 2025 to hear Dick speak about Defending the Undefendable. His work is legendary. 
 

Dick DeGuerin

Dick is a lawyer who got his start as an Assistant District Attorney in Houston in 1965, putting people in jail, but since 1968 has practiced criminal defense in Houston and around the country, getting people out of jail. In other words, he has fully recovered from being a prosecutor.
 

After working with famed defense lawyer Percy Foreman, Dick formed his own firm, DeGuerin and Dickson in 1982.  He has defended a wide variety of high profile clients, from judges, politicians, and celebrities to just plain folks accused of everything from murder to prostitution. He represented David Koresh during the siege in Waco, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Congressman Tom DeLay, Billionaire Robert Durst, and other newsworthy folks, as well as many less noted cases. Most recently he was lead counsel for the inpeachment Trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate. He came in second. Dick maintains his primary office in Houston and is Of Counsel with Liz Rogers and Shane O'Neill in Alpine.  
 

In addition to his active practice, Mr DeGuerin has been an adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin since 1994.  He is also a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Criminal Lawyers, as well as other professional organizations.

Get Ready to Ignite Your Club! 🎇

Are you ready to transform your Rotary club into a dynamic, engaging, and United force For Good? Do you want to attract new members, boost participation, put Compaasion in Action and make a bigger difference in your community?

🗓️ Then mark your calendars for the District 5890 Vibrant Club Training!

⚡️This isn't your average training. We're bringing you an interactive, high-energy experience packed with innovative strategies, fresh ideas, and proven techniques to breathe new life into your club. You'll learn how to:

🌟 Attract and retain passionate members
🌟 Create engaging and impactful meetings
🌟 Amplify your club's projects
🌟 Foster a culture of energy and enthusiasm
🌟 And so much more!

🤝 Join fellow Rotary leaders and members for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and practical takeaways that will empower you to build a truly vibrant club.

✔️ Don't miss out on this opportunity to revitalize your Rotary experience!

Register on the linlk below

Vibrant Club Training | Rotary District 5890

Monthly Board meeting will be held at Harris County Youth Services Center at 6300 Chimney Rock (77081) due to Texans Football Game at NRG.  

Paul W. Hobby has had a lifetime of preparation in family and business dealing with polar opposite people, ideas, and aspirations. His book Glorious Tension: Rediscovering Our Sacred Middle Ground in an Age of Extremism certainly is timely for discussion and your questions.

More than ever before in society today, the middle ground sounds amazing.

Mr. Hobby is a Founding Partner of Genesis Park, L.P. who has been an active regional debt and equity provider for over twenty five years.

In that context, Mr. Hobby has served as Chairman or CEO of numerous portfolio companies: Genesis Park Acquisition Company, Alpheus Communications, Texas Monthly, Caprock Communications, and a solar finance venture, Flic Financial.

Mr. Hobby has more than six decades of combined public company experience having served on the boards of eight public companies through complex markets and management transitions.

Mr. Hobby is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he has been honored by the Raven Society, and the University of Texas School of Law, where he has served as an adjunct faculty member and been honored as an Outstanding Young Alumnus. In 2022, he was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Hobby has been an invited lecturer at many colleges and universities.

Mr Hobby’s public and civic participations have been numerous, in particular he is former Chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Texas Ethics Commission, the Texas General Services Commission, the Philosophical Society of Texas, and The Texas Business Hall of Fame.

He is the author of a 2023 book, Glorious Tension.

Join Virtually ---> September 18, 2025

Please join the Rotary Club of Houston; Rotary Club of University Area; Rotary Club of West U for the District 5890 Rise Against Hunger Event

Please click on the link below to attend or decline. You can also book family and friends.

Rotarians and guests can park out front and enter through the CareerCenter entrance on the left side of the building. We will have our team there by 11 to greet early arrivals etc.

During the visit, you can expect a facility tour, an overview of current programs and the expansion outlook for training programs, and a briefing on Mission Services and Engagement Activities.

Please be aware that this is an active construction site, so please wear close toed shoes to the event. We will have masks available if anyone is sensitive to dust, or they may want to bring their own. We believe the facility is absolutely safe to tour, but we want to make sure everyone understands.

Duncan F. Klussmann served as the Superintendent of Schools in Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) from 2004- 2015. On July 1, 2015 he assumed the title of Superintendent Emeritus. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Klussmann served as an interim superintendent and area superintendent for SBISD. His vast experience includes periods as a school principal and assistant principal, as well as a classroom teacher.

During his 11 year tenure in SBISD, the school district passed the largest bond program in the history of the school district. The $597 million program replaced 13 aging elementary schools, renovated all remaining campuses, provided for new school buses, enhanced athletics facilities, and greatly expanded technology use in the school district. The original program called for the work to be accomplished over a 10 year period of time. As the result of a carefully designed management program, the bond work is scheduled to be completed well ahead of schedule with significant financial savings.

In 2012, Dr. Klussmann helped create the SKY Partnership, which joins together SBISD with KIPP Houston (KIPP) and YES Prep Public Schools (YES Prep) at two district middle schools where new campus program charters now operate. In August of 2015, the partnership expanded into high school. In the Houston region, such an innovative partnership between a school district and charter schools is one of a kind.

In addition, Dr. Klussmann worked closely with the board of trustees, community, staff and students on the creation of the Spring Branch Plan 2012-2017 Goal and Belief Statements. Utilizing a single-focused goal, SBISD doubled the number of students completing a technical certificate, military training and two or four-year degree. This ambitious goal is referred to as Spring Branch T-2-4.

Dr. Klussmann has twice served as president of the Texas School Alliance, an association of 39 of the largest and most influential school districts in Texas. He was recently named one of three 2014 Houstonians of the Year by the Houston Chronicle. A recipient of the Lifetime Member Award from the Texas Parent and Teacher Association, Dr. Klussmann received the TABE Honoree Award for Public Education in 2012. Dr. Klussmann now serves as a board member with United Way, and he remains active with numerous community groups.

Join us on Thursday, October 9, 2025 as John W. Diamond, Ph.D. as we look at the current economic state. With Bill King handling the host role, we anticipate the unexpected. 

John W. Diamond, Ph.D., is the Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Senior Fellow in Public Finance and the senior director of the Center for Tax and Budget Policy at the Baker Institute, an adjunct professor of economics at Rice University and CEO of Tax Policy Advisers, LLC. His research interests are federal tax and expenditure policy, state and local public finance, and the construction and simulation of computable general equilibrium models. His current research focuses on the economic effects of corporate tax reform, the economic and distributional effects of fundamental tax reform, taxation and housing values, public sector pensions, and various other tax and expenditure policy issues.

Diamond is co-editor of “Pathways to Fiscal Reform in the United States” (The MIT Press, 2015) and “Fundamental Tax Reform: Issues, Choices and Implications” (The MIT Press, 2008). He has testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, the U.S. House Budget Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, the Joint Economic Committee and other federal and state committees on issues related to tax policy and the U.S. economy. Diamond served as forum editor for the National Tax Journal (2009-2017) and on the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, U.S. Congress (2000-2004). He has also served as a consultant for the World Bank on the efficacy of structural adjustment programs.

He received his Ph.D. in economics from Rice University in 2000.

Join Virtually ---> October 9, 2025

Join us for fun and fellowship

Call or text Joel at 832-641-1859 for information

REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED

Thursday, October 16, 2025 – Rotary Club Cruise of Port Houston

departing from San Jacinto Battleground Dock by the Monument

Greetings,

Reservations are now closed for this special Rotary Club of Houston Cruise of Port Houston with Ric Campo.  If you need to make a change, get more information or get transportation assistance, please contact Martin Cominsky directly by text or phone call to 713-705-4829.

Port Chairman Ric Campo and Port Houston will welcome those pre-registered members and guests for the cruise and lunch aboard the M/V SAM HOUSTON, on Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 10:30 AM, for a tour of the Houston Ship Channel.  

Business casual attire is recommended, with special attention to the following.  Please wear comfortable flat shoes and understand there will be a wind factor for dresses.  

We are grateful to Port Houston for hosting us for this special event.  

William T. Harris
President & CEO, Space Center Houston
Manned Space Flight Education Foundation

On October 23rd join us to hear directly about how Space Center Houston inspires Innovation and Service.

William T. Harris oversees the strategic direction of the space exploration learning destination, Space Center Houston. With approximately 450 employees and contractors, Space Center Houston is the No. 1 international attraction in the greater Houston area, generating a $118.7 million annual economic impact. The center is a nonprofit, Smithsonian Affiliate, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center, and was named "Best Museum in Texas" by USA Today.

Joining the foundation and center in April 2016, Harris has more than 37 years in nonprofit leadership including senior positions at museums and universities, where he led numerous multimillion-dollar fundraising campaigns, principal and major gifts, marketing, communications, government relations and strategy development. In March 2023, Harris was appointed by President Biden to the National Museum and Library Sciences Board where he will advance, empower and shape policy for America's museums, libraries and related organizations.

He serves as the chair of the board of directors and executive committee of the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC). He is also a member of the board of directors and chair of the grants committee for the QueensCare Charitable Foundation, is a member of the board of directors for the Greater Houston Partnership and serves as board vice president of the Association of Science Museum Directors (ASMD).

Space Center Houston's shared purpose is to bring people and space closer together. Over 1.1 million visitors and more than 250,000 students and educators visit each year to connect with the significance of space exploration to pursue a path in STEM or follow along as incredible feats of human spaceflight continue to make new discoveries. Space Center Houston is owned by the Manned Space Flight Education 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and generates an annual $118M economic impact to the Greater Houston area. Space Center Houston is a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center and a Certified Autism Center. Learn more at spacecenter.org.

Celebrating Service Above Self in the Next Generation

Join the Rotary Club of Houston and District 5890 Governor Tom Kelchner as we highlight five impactful youth service programs that demonstrate the Rotary motto — Service Above Self — in action:

• Interact
• Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE)
• Camp Enterprise
• Rodeo Calf Scramble
• Burnett-Bayland Committee

This special program will include the installation of officers from the RCoH-sponsored Interact Club at Houston Academy of International Studies (HAIS). Incoming 2025–26 Interact President Flor Castro will share their club’s plans and activities for the coming year.

As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Rotary International Youth Exchange Program, meet our 2025–26 inbound student, Kritsawat “Bombay” Sangsook from Northern Thailand, who will give a presentation on his home country.

Since 1986, RCoH has inspired high school juniors through Camp Enterprise, an immersive weekend in business and leadership development. Learn about the 2026 Camp at Camp Allen, now accepting student applications and volunteer planners! Learn how you can volunteer at the Camp and make a lasting impression on a student. 

Hear firsthand from a past Rodeo Houston Calf Scramble participant about this life-changing scholarship opportunity proudly sponsored by the Rotary Club of Houston.

And discover the legacy of BBRC, Rotary’s oldest continuously operating committee (est. 1919), which partners with the Harris County At-Promise Youth  to provide career & life-prep programs — including robotics, entrepreneurship, meditation, and financial literacy.

Come learn how you can be part of shaping the future for Houston’s youth — and the world.

Story Practicum – Unearthing You

This Story Practicum invites attendees to "hold and show their stories" through practices and tools of presence, inner listening, and story shaping. Nothing holds a person in its palms like stories; nothing shapes them like stories’ fingertips.

The Youth learn to:

Hold their stories with compassion and awareness

Listen to their inner narratives with curiosity

Shape those narratives into forms that empower healing and growth

Led by Fulbright Specialist and Anthropologist Marlon F. Hall, this practicum is an embodied, story-centered experience designed to help students not only survive—but *thrive.* Through guided reflection, film, and embodied exercises, participants become both storytellers and story-listeners of their own lives. The aim is for students to unearth who they are, deconstruct what they do, and remember why they must succeed—using the ancient technology of story as both mirror and map.

15-30 youth are expected to attend

9:30-10:00 AM-  Setup

10:00- 11:30- Workshop

11:30-12:00- Lunch

A criminal background check is required.

Please contact: Mercedes Agodio BBRC Chair 2025-2026