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Luncheon Co-Chairs

Please join the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs on October 11, 2016  for a luncheon featuring leading journalists discussing the upcoming presidential election. 

Mayor TurnerMayor Sylvester Turner was elected Mayor of Houston on December 12, 2015, to serve a four year term beginning January 4, 2016. 

Sylvester Turner was born and raised in the Acres Homes community in northwest Houston. His parents moved to Acres Homes in 1954, the year Sylvester was born.

Sylvester’s mother worked as a maid in the old Rice Hotel in Houston. His father worked as a painter for Continental Ensco and cut yards with his sons on the weekends to make extra money. The Turners raised nine children in their modest two-bedroom home in Acres Homes. Sylvester lost his father to cancer when he was 13 years old. Afterward, his mother took over the Turner household. Although she never finished high school or learned to drive, she ensured her children got an education and inspired them to achieve.

Sylvester attended neighborhood public schools until forced integration came to Houston and he was bused to Klein High School. After a predictably rocky start, the student body adapted to its new enrollees – and Sylvester was later elected president of the student body and graduated as valedictorian.

Sylvester graduated from the University of Houston and Harvard Law School before joining the law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski. He later founded the Houston law firm of Barnes & Turner in 1983.

In 1988, Sylvester was elected to the Texas House of Representatives to serve the people of House District 139 in Northwest Houston. He served until his election as mayor, working on the House Appropriations Committee for 21 years and serving as Speaker Pro Tem for three terms.  He was appointed to several Budget Conference Committees to help balance the state’s budget and served on the Legislative Budget Board. 

He is very proud of his daughter Ashley, who is continuing the Turner family tradition of public service in the healthcare field. 

Sarah DavisState Representative Sarah Davis is a successful attorney, two-term state representative and a fiscal conservative dedicated to limiting the size and scope of government in our lives.

Sarah graduated from John Foster Dulles High School in Sugar Land in 1994. In college, she was a member of the Baylor University debate team. After receiving a Bachelor´s Degree in Economics from Baylor in 1998, she went on to earn her Law Degree from the University of Houston in 2001.

Sarah is an accomplished and successful attorney devoting her career to defending against personal injury lawsuits. She is a partner with the national law firm of Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, LLP. Sarah's clients include individuals, local businesses, and Fortune 500 companies. 

Sarah was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2010, and served on the Public Health and Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committees. Sarah was re-elected in 2012, and currently serves on the Public Health, Calendars, and Appropriations committees. She serves as Secretary of the Women´s Health Caucus.

Sarah is a 37 year old breast cancer survivor, and lives with her husband, Kent Adams, and their Yorkie, Mr. Henry, in the City of West University Place.