Events

Join us for fellowship  and fun at our monthly Rotary Club of Houston Social.  Food and drinks are available for purchase.  

With over 45 years of experience as a Professional Engineer, Commissioner Tom Ramsey has dedicated his career to improving the safety, infrastructure, and quality of life for communities across Texas. He has served as Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner since 2020, overseeing maintenance of nearly 6,800 miles of roadway, 72 parks, and 10 Community and Nature Centers. His office also manages over $900M in infrastructure projects.

A native of Crockett, Texas, and a resident of Harris County for over 35 years, Ramsey earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University. His professional achievements have earned him numerous accolades, including being named Engineer of the Year by Houston-area engineering societies and receiving the Distinguished Graduate Award from the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Texas A&M in 2023. The American Society of Civil Engineers recognized him as the 2024 Public Official of the Year.

Before becoming County Commissioner, Ramsey served as Mayor of Spring Valley Village from 2012 to 2020. His strong faith inspires his commitment to public service. He serves as a deacon and Bible study teacher at Second Baptist Church in Houston. He and his wife, Marsha, have three children and seven grandchildren.

We watched Venezuela in amazement, while news broadcasted overwhelming happiness by some and dismay by others. Professor Francisco Monaldi will be providing a timely analysis of Venezuela's oil and US policy: What to expect?             and reponding to your questions on Thursday, January 22, 2026. 

Francisco J. Monaldi, Ph.D., is the Wallace S. Wilson Fellow in Latin American Energy Policy and director of the Latin America Energy Program at the Center for Energy Studies at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

He is also a fellow at the Claudio X. González Center for the United States and Mexico, a lecturer in energy economics at Rice University’s Department of Economics, and a lecturer in energy management at the Jones Graduate School of Business. He is a member of the International Faculty at IESA School of Management in Venezuela and Panama, where he was a professor and the founding director of the Center for Energy and the Environment. He is a nonresident fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.

He is a member of the International Advisory Council of Global Americans, the Venezuela Solutions Group of the Atlantic Council, and the Education Advisory Board of the Association of International Energy Negotiators. 

Monaldi was previously a visiting professor at the School of Government at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in México; an adjunct senior research scholar at the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University; a visiting professor of energy policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government; an associate of the Geopolitics of Energy Project and the Roy Family Fellow of the Environment and Natural Resources Program at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; the Robert F. Kennedy Visiting Professor in Latin American Studies at Harvard University; an adjunct professor of international energy policy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; a visiting professor of political economy at Stanford University; a national fellow at the Hoover Institution; and a researcher and lecturer in political economy at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas. He has also been a visiting lecturer at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, and the Universidad ESAN in Lima.

Monaldi is a leading scholar on the politics and economics of energy and resource policy in Latin America. He also studies institutions and resource wealth management in developing countries. He has consulted with numerous international institutions, governments and companies — including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, CAF Development Bank of Latin America, Saudi Aramco, Ecopetrol, PDVSA, PEMEX, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Total Energies, Equinor, JP Morgan, Barclays, Natural Resource Governance Institute, Harvard Center for International Development, S&P, Rystad, Wood Mackenzie, Eurasia Group, Medley Advisors, and the governments of Norway, the U.K., the U.S., Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan.

Monaldi has authored and coauthored numerous academic publications, including “Shale Renders the Obsolescing Bargain Obsolete: Political Risk and Foreign Investment in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta” (Resources Policy, 2021); “The Cyclical Phenomenon of Resource Nationalism in Latin America” in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia (Oxford University Press, 2020); “The Political Economy of Oil Taxation in Latin America” in “The Political Economy of Taxation in Latin America,” G. Flores-Macias, ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2019); “Institutional Collapse” in “Venezuela Before Chavez: Anatomy of an Economic Collapse,” R. Hausmann and F. Rodriguez, eds. (Penn State University Press, 2014); “Oil Fueled Centralism,” in “Oil and Gas in Federal Systems,” G. Anderson, ed. (Oxford University Press, 2012); and “The Political Economy of Oil Contract Renegotiation in Venezuela,” in “The Natural Resources Trap: Private Investment without Public Commitment,” W. Hogan and F. Struzenegger, eds. (MIT Press, 2010).

He holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in political science (political economy) from Stanford University, an M.A. in international and development economics from Yale University, and a B.A. in economics from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello.

Join the Rotary Club of Houston for an intimate evening fundraiser in support of Rotary Camp Enterprise and Youth Programs.

Enjoy a welcoming reception with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine, hosted by Terry and Dr. Joe Agris at their Bellaire home. The evening will include a special safari tour beginning at 4:30 PM, followed by time to connect with fellow supporters who share a commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders.  You will be entertained on the Grand Piano by Kathleen Fenninger and on the harp by Kate Gabriele.  Light Italian cuisine will be offered.  

You will also meet and be briefed by students who participated in previous Camp Enterprise programs.  It's a great celebration of how Rotary  of Houston supports and encourages both social and business entrepreneurship.  Come learn about this 21st century youth leadership program for area high school students.  

Proceeds from this event support Rotary’s signature project, Camp Enterprise, an immersive business and leadership experience for Houston-area high school students, and other youth development programs of the Rotary Club of Houston.  We hope you will join us for this fun and festive friendraiser.  As a guest at this event, we request a donation of your choice by clicking on the "Donate" link below.  

Donate to Camp Enterprise 2026

January 29, 2026 | 4:30–7:00 PM
Safari Tour begins at 4:30 PM

400 Mulberry Lane
Bellaire, TX 77401

Kindly RSVP by January 26.

John Whitmire, the 63rd Mayor of Houston was sworn in on January 1, 2024, bringing decades of public service experience to the role. Before becoming mayor, he served as the longest-tenured member of the Texas State Senate, representing Houstonians for 40 years in the Texas Senate and 10 years in the Texas House. Throughout his career, Whitmire has been a strong advocate for criminal justice reform, public safety, and economic development. As mayor, Whitmire is focused on strengthening public safety, fixing the city’s finances and infrastructure, and improving Houstonians' quality of life. His leadership is shaped by his love for people, his vast understanding of government and his commitment to public service.