Events

Mary Kay Jackson, the daughter of local Rotarian Dan Clinton, was raised in Houston and holds civil engineering degrees from Texas A&M and Stanford University.  After a brief stint in the oil industry, Mary Kay practiced civil engineering in Atlanta, Georgia, for 20 years designing water infrastructure for municipal clients. 

In 2006, Mary Kay moved to Ghana, West Africa, and joined the staff of the Methodist Church Ghana to create their Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program.  In 2017, she returned to Houston and joined the staff of TMS Global, where she currently is the Director of Strategic Initiatives. She continues to maintain an active water ministry in Ghana.

Over the past 18 years, Mary Kay has constructed 300 boreholes for villages, clinics, and schools in Ghana.  She served for 9 years as the Managing Director of Pure Home Water, a Ghanaian social enterprise that manufactures ceramic pot filters for household water treatment.  During her tenure, Pure Home Water constructed its manufacturing facility and grew from 4 to 25 employees, mostly local women potters. To date, Pure Home Water has provided over 30,000 filters to households in Ghana, including as part of two Rotary grants.

Sheer Success Barber and Cosmetology Save the Date!

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

September 12, 2024 from 1p-3p

Location: 1212 A Roberts St, Houston, Texas 77003

Bunk Bed Builders are needed!

6 to 7 volunteers are needed to build 2 sets of bunk beds for 4 Afghan refugee children.  No heavy lifting or handyman skills required. 

Meet at 10a to noon: 3700 Watonga Blvd Apt 1304 (290 and Mangum Rd area)

Please email melissa@amaanahservices.org or call 281.726.6167 if you are available to volunteer.

Books for the World Book Sorting

3401 Navigation, Cubework Warehouse

9am to Noon

With her vast knowledge, hands-on experience and overall love of seniors, Jan has started her own business (When Seasons Change, LLC) in assisting seniors along with their families, in locating the community that best meets their needs. Jan also provides care management to assist families in navigating the care needs as well as assisting families in managing their loved ones care while in a community.

Books for the World Book Sorting

3401 Navigation, Houston, Cube Warehouse

9a to Noon

Russ Schulze has agreed to host our World Polio Day event again this year at the Owl Bar on Thursday, Oct. 24 starting at 5 PM.

Check back for more details!

We will be making new flags and repairing existing flage

Please plan on joining us on October 26, 2024 to pack meals at Rise Against Hunger!

More details to come!

Books for the World Book Sorting

3401 Navigation, Houston, Cube Warehouse

9a to Noon

Mr. Thompson is a native Houstonian who graduated from Lamar High School and the University of Texas with a degree in finance. He joined his brother at Thompson-Hanson in 1994 and moved with his wife and three children to West University Place in 2002. He is currently involved with landscape, nursery and growing industries along with restaurants, real estate, farming and ranching. Mr. Thompson's interest include health, nutrition, regenerative agriculture, vintige cars, aviation and golf. The intiatial seed money for Thompson-Hanson with their father's lawn mower!

Books for the World Book Sorting

3401 Navigation, Houston, Cube Warehouse

9a to Noon

Breakfast for Lunch (50+) will be sponsored by our club this year. It will be a great opportunity to meet some West U residents over lunch!

Kristen Leach is the executive director of Kinetic Kids Houston, a nonprofit organization that offers sport, recreational and fine art programs for kids with special needs.  Kristen founded Kinetic Kids Houston in January 2024 and started programming in March. Kinetic Kids serves our local special needs community by allowing kids to get off the sidelines and develop into athletes under the watch care of coaches and pediatric therapists.

Book for the World Book Sorting

3401 Navigation, Houston, Cube Warehouse

9am to Noon

Are you ready for an UNFORGETTABLE evening enjoying delectable meat selections Brazilian style, including fish and vegetarian option, wonderful side dishes and scrumptious desserts?

GREAT live music, SURPRISE show and raffle, all in the FANTASTIC company of your WEST U FRIENDS!

Cost: $75.00 per person+CASH bar.. You can modify amount on Venmo to pay for more than one guest.

IMPORTANT!  Register and pay by 12/5/24

Please click the link below to make your payment after registration in ClubRunner.

Click here to pay via Venmo by 12/5/2024.  Link to Venmo Payment    Payee:   @RotaryclubofWestU.   

If you cannot pay via Venmo, please contact Irene Sadkowski/Social Committee Chair 281-748-7822.  Please do not send any checks via mail. 

No payments will be accepted at the party.

Please bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to "Operation Love".

Dress code: Evening/party attire.

Don't delay! Limited capacity!

Hope to see you all there!

Irene Sadkowski

REALTOR®

Social Committee Chair

281-748-7822

Director, Global Cybersecurity Program and Assistant Professor of International Studies at the University of St. Thomas. Currently teaching courses on Cyber Warfare, Introduction to Enterprise Cybersecurity, Cyber Ethics, Digital Governance, and Geopolitical Risk. Mr. Botts is a lecturer at the Women’s Institute of Houston teaching a course entitled The World According to Eric.

• Will Rommel, Project Advisor with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, will present on the Clean and Green Program at the Buffalo Bayou Partnership. The Clean and Green program is responsible for the clean-up and maintenance of 10 miles of waterway that lead to the Gulf of Mexico, and the team captures ocean bound plastic waste and other litter using a variety of techniques and innovations.

The talk will focus on Cristo Rey Jesuit College Prep in Houston - a short history of how the school came to be, a snap-shot of the students we serve, and our innovative Corporate Work Study Program which helps make a private school education accessible to families who typically cannot afford one.

Saturday:  Place US flags along the University Blvd. portion of the Houston Marathon route! 

Sunday: Pick-up flags after the Marathon

Place: Verde Garden

2817 W. Dallas St. Building C

Houston, TX 77019

281-974-5181

www.verdegardenhtx.com

Date: Thursday 1/23/25  5:15PM

We have reserved the couches in the cocktail room (1st room to the right at you enter).

Happy hour is 3 to 6PM.

Make sure to try one of their frozen flaming drinks!!! 

Their ceviche is delicious.

Great ambiance with eclectic decor!

Place: Verde Garden

2817 W. Dallas St. Building C

Houston, TX 77019

281-974-5181

www.verdegardenhtx.com

Place US and Texas flags in West University Place for Presidents' Day.

Remeber to bring your unused eyeglasses for collection and charity distribution 

What:  Tour of the Caroline School at Easter Seals; recipient of our charity golf tournament this year.   We’ll also see the smart technology lab, and Children’s Therapy Clinic. 

Date:  Friday, February 7

Time:  9-10 am

Address:  4888 Loop Central Drive, Suite 100, Houston TX 77081 (Loop One Building). 

Parking:  Sometimes there is parking available on the street. If not, park in visitors parking in the garage. They will validate your ticket. Also, some maps confuse the three buildings. We are in the last building closest to 610 frontage road on Loop Central known as Loop 1. 

If anyone wants to carpool, I suggest that we congregate at Buffalo Grill parking area (Wesleyan and Bissonnet) at 8:45 am.

At Small Places, we develop high impact urban farms in low access communities. We are passionate about cultivating healthy neighborhoods via nourishing food and engaged communities; ultimately renewing the bond between people, place and food. Small Places has been actively involved in the East End of Houston helping with food insecurity across the food desert in 2nd ward, and I believe our work aligns with the values and interests of your club members.

Retrieve flags from West University Place and return these to the Flag Shed

ANNE WHITLOCK has lived and worked in
five countries, starting in the Peace Corps in
Mali, West Africa and then moving to Chad,
Costa Rica, Mexico and back to the US. She
speaks fluent Spanish, some French and a
smattering of Bambara. These experiences
gave her a sense of what it’s like to be pulled
from one’s roots and transported to a new land
with cultural and language barriers.
She has served as Founding Director of
Connect Community since 2016, a holistic
revitalization effort in Gulfton/Sharpstown
based on the Purpose Built Communities
model. The model focuses on building great
communities by wrapping around schools to
build aligned health and wellness
infrastructure, a cradle through career
education pipeline, economic vitality and
mixed income housing options.
She has the privilege of working with
newcomers from all over the globe who have
landed in Houston to seek better opportunities
for themselves and their families.
Prior to Connect Community, she worked as
the Program Director for the Community Clinic
Funders’ Collaborative at the Harris County
Healthcare Alliance working to improve
sustainability and collaboration in the Houston
healthcare safety net system. She worked at
the Baker Institute and led the America’s
Project seminar for “Young Leaders” from
throughout Latin America. She also rode the
dot.com boom and bust wave in the mid-90’s
and survived her husband’s congressional
campaign in 2008.
She currently serves on the boards of the
Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Brazos Bookstore,
and UT Children’s Learning Institute and
served on the boards of Vecino Health
Centers and the East End Foundation.
She is married with three adult children and
lives in a converted fire station in the East End
of Houston.
 

Contact Bentley Sanford if interested in donating morning time to help on bayou vac boat.