LUNCHEON HONORS UH SYSTEM ALUMS SERVING
AS FORT BEND COUNTY LEADERS
Regent Chair O’Connor, UHS Chancellor Gogue, UHV President
Hudson
Say Thanks for Community Service
HOUSTON, Feb. 6, 2005 – Jay Gogue, Chancellor of the University
of Houston System, and UH-Victoria President Tim Hudson hosted a
luncheon on Friday, Feb. 4, for UH System alumni who serve as city
and county government leaders in Fort Bend County.
Held at UH System at Sugar Land, the event brought together more
than 40 guests to receive heartfelt thanks from Chancellor Gogue
and President Hudson.
On hand to give special recognition to the alumni was UH System
Board of Regents Chair Morgan Dunn O’Connor. “We are
so grateful for your support and for your service to your community,”
said O’Connor. Other UH System regents in attendance were
Leroy Hermes and Bo Smith.
Chancellor Gogue praised the guests for their contributions to
Fort Bend County as community leaders. He said he was proud to have
UH System alumni taking on leadership roles and becoming active
citizens in Texas. He gave brief remarks about the UH System legislative
priorities.
President Hudson introduced UH System at Sugar Land student Tonichia
Williams who told the group about her positive experiences at UHSSL
and thanked those present for providing support for her to improve
her life.
President Hudson gave an update on plans for the expansion of the
UHSSL campus, the facility that will be shared with Wharton County
Junior College. He emphasized that to be successful in the new building
campaign, the UH System will need to build on existing alliances
with the state, Fort Bend County, community colleges, foundations,
local government entities, and individuals.
“I appreciated the opportunity to meet other public officials
with whom I shared a common denominator: being a graduate of the
University of Houston,” said Meadows Place Mayor Mark McGrath.
“I was also pleased to see how dynamic the leaders of this
institution are, not just System-wide, but particularly in Sugar
Land. Based on today’s event, I am excited about the future
of the UH System in Fort Bend County.”
Approximately 50 UH alumni hold national, state, city, or county
government positions in Fort Bend County. From state representative
to city attorneys, from mayors to volunteers on advisory boards,
UH alumni enrich the community and provide leadership to one of
the nation’s fastest growing counties.
U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay, a graduate of UH’s College of
Natural Science and Mathematics, leads nationally. State Representative
Dora Olivo, a graduate of the College of Education and the Law Center
leads at the state level.
County Commissioners Tom Stavinoha and James Patterson are graduates
of the UH College of Education.
Mayor Leonard Scarcella, a UH Law alumnus, has lead the city of
Stafford for several decades. Other Law Center alumni include city
attorneys Steve Weathered, and Cheryl Wilson; Judge Walter McMeans,
and Sugar Land Zoning Board of Adjustments member Deloise Holmes
Jr.
Other alumni lead in law enforcement and adjudication. Ruben Davis,
a UH-Downtown Criminal Justice alumnus, is a Fort Bend County Constable,
and UH Law alumni Cliff Vacek and Ronique Bastine serve as judges.
Corey Dmajdalka, also a UH-Downtown Criminal Justice alumnus, serves
as information service manager for Rosenberg.
UH has representation on four city councils in the county: Meadows
Place (one member) Stafford, (one member), Rosenberg (two members),
and Sugar Land (three members). Those representatives include David
Piwonka, Michael Sachs, Russell Jones, Daniel Wong, Cyril Hosley,
Tony Becerra and James Carl Hopkins Jr.
In Missouri City, Bob Graf, a UH Bauer College of Business alumnus,
serves as economic development coordinator and Media Relations Specialist
Elsa Malakoff is a graduate of the UH Graduate School of Social
Work. Glen Gilmore, a graduate of the College of Natural Sciences
and Mathematics, leads the city of Richmond as City Manager.
Fort Bend ISD Superintendent Betty Baitland is a graduate of the
UH College of Education, and three Lamar Consolidated ISD Trustees,
Mary Louise Dujka, Sam Hopkins, and the late Phillip Crosby are
also alumni. Gregory Holsapple is a trustee on the Stafford MSD.
In addition to these positions, UH alumni serve in volunteer capacities
on city advisory boards and commissions such as parks and recreation
boards, zoning commissions, and Keep Sugar Land Beautiful.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
The University of Houston System is the state’s only metropolitan
higher education system, encompassing four universities and two
multi-institution teaching centers. The universities are the University
of Houston, a nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting, comprehensive
research university; the University of Houston-Downtown, a four-year
undergraduate university beginning limited expansion into graduate
programs; and the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University
of Houston-Victoria, both upper division and master’s-level
institutions. The centers are the UH System at Sugar Land in Fort
Bend and the UH System at Cinco Ranch. In addition, the UH System
includes KUHF-FM, Houston’s National Public Radio and classical
radio station, and KUHT-TV, the nation’s first educational
television station.
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom
at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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