Events

Steve Kean

President and CEO, Greater Houston Partnership

The Greater Houston Partnership is the Houston region’s principal business organization.  The Partnership focuses on attracting investment and trade to Houston, building a strong workforce, advocating for sound public policy, and convening a diverse set of Houstonians when major issues arise.

Come on out and help us put together toiletry bags for our Veterans to be distributed at our Veterans event on November 14th!

There is complementary valet parking or you can park on the 2nd floor.

The Veterans Committee of the Rotary Club of Houston invites you to participate in the “Veterans Day Celebration: Honoring All Who Served Our Country” at the Cloudbreak “Veterans” Community on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m.  Our Rotary Club will provide food, beverages, games, and fellowship to our veterans who currently reside at Cloudbreak located at 4640 Main St., Houston, Texas 77002.  Come out and celebrate the military service that these men and women provided to our great country.   Space is limited—so please register on-line.

The Cloudbreak Community is one of several active developments that provides supportive housing for homeless and at-risk veterans in nine cities across five states.  Owned and operated by Cantwell-Anderson, Inc, the Cloudbreak Community in Houston—originally a Days Inn Hotel—has housed nearly 3,000 veterans in transitional and long-term housing since 2003.  The mission at Cloudbreak is to assist “each veteran to overcome life’s obstacles and attain his or her potential through mutuality, dignity and respect for all.” 

If you would like to help support our veterans by donating toiletries and games, click here: https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/20L719YD2WJIV

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. 

Point-Counterpoint....Two perspectives from Texas State Representatives about the upcoming legislative sessions.

Rep. DeAyala, Mano - District 133
 

Representative Mano DeAyala represents Texas' House District 133 in West Houston. The district includes Houston's "Energy Corridor" which is home to the global headquarters of several prominent companies within the energy sector and a critical economic hub for Texas. He is currently serving his first session in the Texas House of Representatives. 

In April 2017, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Mano to a six-year term on the board of the Texas Board of Criminal Justice where he serves as the Chair of the Business & Finance Committee and also serves as Trustee of the Windham School District. In July 2020, the United States Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, appointed Mano to a three-year term as an arbitrator to adjudicate trade disputes under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”). 
Mano is a past member of the “C” Club of Houston having served on the executive committee from 2012 through 2021 and as President in 2017. He also served as a Trustee of the Houston Region Business Coalition 2020-2021. Mano has also served on the Board of the Hispanic Leadership Alliance since 2012 and as Chairman from 2017 through 2022.

Mano has previously served on Spring Branch Independent School District’s Finance and Long-Range Planning committees and as a board member of Heritage Ed, a prospective K-8 charter school serving northwest Houston. With the Spring Branch-Memorial Sports Association (SBMSA), Mano was a longtime youth football coach and has served as a board member from 2012 through 2022
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In his professional career, Mano is a senior partner of Buck Keenan LLP. For more than a decade, Mano has been recognized as one of the top Texas Lawyers by Texas Super Lawyers and as one of the top lawyers in the US by Best Lawyers® in America.

Mano received a BBA (Finance) Degree from the University of Texas (McCombs School of Business) in 1988 and his law degree from Southern Methodist University in 1992. 

Mano and his wife of 30 years Melissa reside in west Houston with their three sons, Marcus, Matthew and Mitchell who are all products of Spring Branch ISD.

No meeting due to Thanksgiving holiday.

The Veterans Committee of the Rotary Club of Houston invites you to participate in the “Thanksgiving Day Celebration: Honoring Our Veterans” at the Cloudbreak Veterans Community on Thursday, November 28, 2024, at 11:30 a.m.  Our Rotary Club, with the valued assistance of PDG Bob Gebhard and “Operation Turkey Houston,” will provide and serve a delicious Thanksgiving meal to our veterans who currently reside at Cloudbreak located at 4640 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002.  Come out and share the blessings of Thanksgiving with the men and women who served our great country.   Because this is a service project and not a luncheon, you will have plenty of time to celebrate the holiday with your family.  Space is limited—so please register on-line.

The Cloudbreak Community is one of several active developments that provides supportive housing for homeless and at-risk veterans in nine cities across five states.  Owned and operated by Cantwell-Anderson, Inc, the Cloudbreak Community in Houston—originally a Days Inn Hotel—has housed nearly 3,000 veterans in transitional and long-term housing since 2003.  The mission at Cloudbreak is to assist “each veteran to overcome life’s obstacles and attain his or her potential through mutuality, dignity and respect for all.” 

Join the Rotary Club of Houston in hosting a Christmas celebration at Career and Recovery Resources.

Career and  Recovery Resouces helps people live a life of self-determination and financial competence through behavior and physical wellness, education, worforce development, and affordable housing.

Dr. Stanley Jones is an orthopedic spine surgeon who has an active spine practice in the state of Texas and is a board-certified member of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Jones received a B.A. in chemistry from Texas Tech University and an M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He completed an internship at the University of Utah and an orthopedic residency at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. He then served in the U.S. Army as a Captain in the Medical Corps.

Dr. Jones has served as President of the International Intradiscal Therapy Society, President of the Texas Spine Society and previously as Director of Memorial Hermann Hospital Systems Spine Surgery program. He is an active member of the North American Spine Society and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Jones’ current interests are in the fields of minimally invasive spine surgery and pain management and in the use of adult autologous mesenchymal stem cells for medical benefits to patients.

In 2009, Dr. Jones suffered from a sudden onset of debilitating autoimmune psoriatic arthritis. Although he continued to see patients, his condition prevented him from performing surgery at his full capacity. Dr. Jones located a company in Seoul, South Korea, that had developed a state-of-the-art technology that allowed him to receive the treatment of his own stem cells. Four months after receiving his stem cells, he was able to return to a normal surgery schedule and a life without pain. Dr. Jones is responsible for bringing stem cell technology to Texas from overseas.

Come out for fun and fellowship with your fellow Rotarians!

Inga will be hosting this month.  If you have problems finding the group, give Inga a call or send a text at 346-515-9742.

Supporting cancer research for over 50 years.

http://www.lombardiaward.org

BEAR ... BE A Resource for CPS Kids

The BEAR will provide lunch for participants.

Rotarians will separate gifts by age to create gift bags according to CPS children's wish list.

BEARing Gifts provides holiday gifts to children involved with Child Protective Services who otherwise would have no holiday cheer at all. Over 14,000 children were served with our help last year!

Let's do it again this year! Bring your donation of new, unopened toys to the Warehouse on Thursday December 12th 2024.

*Located at the end of the Brookwood Business Park next to Oaks Dads’ Club (baseball fields). Click here for directions!

Map is attached for the parking lot/baseball field parking.  

Please join members and friends of The Rotary Club of Houston as we participate in our annual “Holiday Wreaths for Veterans” service project on Saturday, December 14, 2024 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.  For the fifth year now, The Rotary Club of Houston has partnered with “Wreaths Across America-Houston” to place holiday wreaths on the headstones of our fallen veterans at Houston National Cemetery—located at 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038.  Once again, we are honored to join forces with our fellow Rotarians from across Rotary District 5890.  We will focus our efforts in Section P of the National Cemetery (marked by a green arrow on the attached map), along with any other Sections that may require our assistance.  

Bring your family and friends to this memorable holiday event. 

See the information below from the Wreaths Across America-Houston website: https://waahouston.com/wreath-day-info/.

Important Information –

Parking

• The best place to park is at Greenspoint Mall and take the free shuttle to the National Cemetery.
• The parking on the Cemetery grounds will usually fill by 9:00 a.m. so Greenspoint Mall is your best option.
• Parking on Veterans Memorial Road is not recommended due to the volume of traffic.

Timing

• 7:30 a.m. –  Free Shuttle Service Starts
• 8:00 a.m. –  Motorcycle Escort and Trucks Arrive
• 11:00 a.m. –Ceremony Starts
• 11:45 a.m. –Wreath Laying Starts  (no wreaths will be laid until the Ceremony is over)
• 2:30 p.m. –  Free Shuttle Service Stops

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. 

Join the Rotary Club of Houston for our last meeting of the year and welcome Chief J. Noe Diaz 
City of Houston, Chief of Police

Ask the Chief: What challenges are you tackling in your new position? What are the priorities for HPD?  As the holiday season approaches, what should we do to keep our family and friends safe? 

Chief J. Noe Diaz was appointed Chief of Police by Mayor John Whitmire on August 14, 2024. Prior to his current appointment he served as the Chief of Police for the Katy Police Department. 

Chief Diaz began his law enforcement career as a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice from 1987 to 1994.

Diaz completed the University of Houston-Downtown Police Academy in 1994 and worked for the Harris County Precinct Five Constable’s Office until 1996, when he was selected by the Texas Department of Public Safety to attend DPS Academy A-96. Upon completion of the DPS Academy, Chief Diaz was assigned to the Katy Highway Patrol Office as a Trooper.

In 2001, Diaz was promoted into the Narcotics Division of the State Police and was stationed in Houston, where he was assigned to the Harris County Organized Crime Task Force, HPD, ATF, DEA, and the FBI during his seven years as a Narcotics Sergeant.

In 2008, Chief Diaz was appointed as a Texas Ranger and briefly served in Rio Grande City, until returning to the Houston Office, where he was assigned as the Public Corruption Ranger for Company A (Greater Houston Area) for over ten years, working various high profile public corruption investigations. Chief Diaz was assigned to the FBI Public Corruption Border Task Force as a Task Force Officer and maintained top-secret clearance.

Diaz has over 6,800 Law Enforcement (TCOLE) training hours and earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston- Downtown (100 Club Scholarship Recipient) and a Master of Science in Criminology from Lamar University. He is a graduate of the 263rd FBI National Academy and FBI Texas Command College. Chief Diaz also graduated from the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, School of Police Staff and Command in 2024.

He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Texas Police Chief’s Association.

No meeting due to Christmas holiday.

GERRY GROGIN
September 8, 1926 - December 25, 2024

It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of Rotarian Gerry Grogin, Sep 08 1926-Dec 25 2024.

Gerry joined The Rotary Club of Houston on Dec 16 1964 and took pride in his perfect attendance through those many years. We were all honored to know him and will miss his laughter, wit, and stories. 

Gerry’s funeral is Monday Dec 30 at 2:30 at Emanuel el Memorial Park  8341 Bissonnett.

No meeting due to New Year's holiday week.

John Whitmire

Mayor, City of Houston

Join us at our January 9, 2025 lunch to hear

"A Year in Review and a Look to the Future"

JOIN VIRTUALLY ---> THURSDAY JAN 9 2025

John Whitmire, the former Dean of the Texas Senate, was sworn into office as Houston's 63rd Mayor on January 2, 2024. He  has served his community his entire adult life.

As a young boy, John worked odd jobs and learned the value of hard work, even shining shoes at a Harrisburg Beer Hall. He also witnessed domestic abuse and moved frequently as a child.

When a fire burned down his family home, the community wrapped their arms around him, donating clothes and providing shelter. That lesson in compassion and empathy would guide him as a public servant.

In his teenage years, Whitmire settled into a more stable life in Houston with his mother, a nurse, and his stepfather, a social worker. Watching his parents help people as public servants steered John towards a career path of service.

After graduating from Waltrip High School, he soon began working for the Texas “Food Stamp” office, at the time a nutrition initiative for poor families. The case numbers became people and families when he was sent out to do house visits. These real-life interactions would become the base for how John would analyze and shape policies.

At the age of 22, a chance meeting with his UH professor, the legendary Richard Murray, presented the precocious Whitmire with the chance to run for a newly drawn Texas House District. The new single-member district showed his home, high school, church, and hospital where his mother worked.

“It looks like they drew that one for me,” Whitmire recalled. And in that moment, his journey as a public servant was solidified.

Throughout his career as a State Representative for 10 years and State Senator for 40, Whitmire fought tirelessly for district representation across Houston. Notably, he played a key role in establishing the first Latino state senate district in Harris County and has been a staunch advocate for expanding access to early voting in person and Election Day polling locations in African American and Latino communities. His commitment to LGBTQ+ rights earned him the Harvey Milk Award in 1993 for his efforts against the criminalization of the Sodomy Law. Whitmire has also been a vocal champion of women's rights, backed by a 100% voting record. He has worked tirelessly to preserve the DREAM Act, ensuring undocumented young individuals can access in-state tuition rates. Additionally, he supported workers' compensation for injured farm workers and unemployment compensation.

In a pivotal moment in his life, Whitmire and his family were robbed at gunpoint, an experience that ultimately led to his chairmanship of the Criminal Justice Committee and his fight for public safety.

As a long-serving chair of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Whitmire has demonstrated his ability to strike a balance between being tough on crime and being smart on crime by implementing intelligent reforms. He authored the Sandra Bland Act, addressing law enforcement training, jail resources, and support for individuals with mental illness, substance abuse, or intellectual differences. He also spearheaded grand jury reform, eliminating the "pick a pal" system and promoting diversity in panel selection. Additionally, he successfully led efforts to decriminalize school behavior and expunged thousands of class C misdemeanors from the records of young Texans.

When called on by the people of Houston to run for mayor, Whitmire eagerly accepted the challenge because he believes in answering the call wherever it leads. With a wealth of experience working alongside nine mayors and seven governors, he possesses invaluable knowledge in public safety, infrastructure, and effective problem-solving.

John Whitmire's extraordinary life experiences, unwavering dedication, and a proven track record in getting things done make him a true public servant committed to the well-being of Houstonians.

Come on out and join in some winter fun!

Connor Grill will be hosting.  You can reach Connor at 941-920-1858.

Meet at the Ice Rink.  You don't need to skate to join in the fun!

PLEASE NOTE: All tickets must be purchased online. Tickets for general admission will not be available for purchase at the ice rink will-call window.   Purchase Tickets

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. 

Join Virtually ===> January 16, 2025

Kenneth L. Mattox, M.D., is one of the most recognized surgeons around the world. He is Distinguished Service Professor of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and Chief of Staff/Chief of Surgery at the Ben Taub Hospital, Houston, Texas. He helped develop the internationally renowned Ben Taub General Hospital Emergency Center and its equally respected Trauma Center. His reputation as an innovator in trauma care is worldwide. He has made original and significant contributions in trauma resuscitation, trauma systems, thoracic trauma, vascular injury, autotransfusion, complex abdominal trauma and multi-system trauma. His research in preoperative fluid restriction for penetrating trauma shook the foundation of surgical doctrine in this area. His textbook, Trauma, is an international best seller, now in its 8^th edition, and he is co-editor of the Sabiston’s Textbook of Surgery, recognized throughout the world. He is co-editor of the second edition of Rich’s Vascular Trauma. A fifth book, History of Surgery in Houston, recounts the last 50 years of Houston’s impressive and colorful surgical heritage. He co-authored the unique, international best seller, Top Knife, a practical guide to trauma care, translated into nine foreign languages. He frequently receives emails from physicians in war zones who refer to this “little book” as their Bible in the OR.

Authoring over 600 articles and more than 1,000 abstracts, he has also served on six Editorial Boards and has been an Editorial Reviewer for 15 other journals. He has been a visiting professor or consultant to more than 800 medical schools, hospitals or health care systems throughout the world. For the past eighteen years, he has been Program Director of the Las Vegas Trauma, Critical Care, and Acute Care Surgery Course, the best attended and most acclaimed trauma conference in the world. In 2008, he added the directorship of another international conference to his “docket,” Medical Disaster Response. In its inaugural year, the course sold out. Doctor Mattox is a member of over 30 professional organizations and is Past President of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, Past Secretary-Treasurer of the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society, and Past President of the Houston Surgical Society and Texas Surgical Society. He also served as Vice President of the American College of Surgeons and the American Surgical Association.

Terry R. Lord

Full bio:

Mr. Lord retired from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2004 after serving as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division for almost thirty years.  He began as a Special Attorney in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section in 1970 serving on Strike Forces in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.  The Assistant Attorney General (AAG) for the Criminal Division named him the Chief of the Las Vegas Strike Force in 1987.  

Selected by the American Political Science Association in 1990 to be a Congressional Fellow, Lord spent a year in the US Senate as a Legislative Assistant to Senator Joe Lieberman (D-I-Conn).  He aided the Senator with legislative hearings in the Governmental Affairs Committee chaired by the late Senator John Glenn (D-Ohio) and Senate floor debate on a variety of bills.  Upon completion of  the one year Senate Fellowship, Lord returned to the DOJ Criminal Division as the Principal Deputy Chief of the General Litigation and Legal Advice Section (GLLAS).  This section, one of the largest in the Division at the time, prosecuted cases involving immigration and customs fraud, industrial health and safety criminal violations, bribery and graft not involving official corruption, Indian affairs, and many other federal offenses.  From 1994 to 1996, Lord was the Acting Chief of GLLAS.

The AAG for the division appointed Lord to be the Chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in 1996.  By this time, the use of the internet to distribute child pornography, and to commercially exploit children on a world-wide basis had become a major social and criminal law enforcement issue.  CEOS led national enforcement initiatives against child pornography rings operating throughout the US while working with investigators from federal, state and local agencies.  Attorneys from CEOS trained prosecutors in US Attorney offices, District Attorney offices and even prosecutors around the world in new techniques in the investigation and prosecution of child exploitation offenses. Lord was a member of theInterpol Committee on Crimes against Children and headed a sub-committee on Legal Training.  This Interpol committee organized and conducted training on child exploitation enforcement for investigators and prosecutors throughout the globe.

The Overseas Professional Training and Development Section (OPDAT) of the Criminal Division selected Lord to be the Resident Legal Advisor (RLA) at the US Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.  From 2001 to 2003, Lord assisted the Romanian Ministry of Justice and the Prosecutor-General’s office in establishing new programs to combat human trafficking, organized crime and corruption.  Training seminars and conferences were held in every part of Romania for investigators, prosecutors and judges.  Lord completed his DOJ career as the Acting Regional Director for Central Europe, OPDAT, working in Washington, DC from 2003-2004.  He supervised and directed RLA programs in eleven countries, although a majority of the efforts focused on the Balkans.

Lord now lives in Houston, Texas.  He is a 50 year member of the State Bar of  Texas, Vietnam War veteran and educated at Southern Methodist University (BA-1963) and the University of Texas School of Law (JD-1966).

Rotary Club of Houston Social

Nice Winery Guided Wine Class Experience

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. 

Details coming soon...

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. 

Camp Enterprise at Camp Allen

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.