HOUSTON – The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo board of directors met Wednesday to elect new leadership for the 2019 Rodeo, set for Feb. 25 to March 17.
Chairman of the Board
For the second consecutive year, Jim Winne was elected as chairman of the board. He was a founder, chairman and CEO of Legend Natural Gas companies, and retired in 2013 after 35 years in the oil and gas industry.
He joined the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 1977 and was elected to the board of directors in 2004. From 2006 through 2008, he served as a Rodeo vice president and the officer in charge of the Calf Scramble Arena, Calf Scramble Donors, Calf Scramble Greeters, Parade, Rodeo Contestant Hospitality, Rodeo Operations, Special Children’s and Trail Ride committees.
Winne has been a member of the Rodeo’s Executive Committee since 2014. In 2017, he served as chairman of the board – elect.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The Executive Committee includes the chairman of the board, the past chairmen of the board for each of the immediate preceding nine years, and at least five members who are elected at large from the board of directors.
Newly elected:
- Patricia “Pat” Mann Phillips, Houston – Energy Consultant
Re-elected:
- Brady F. Carruth
- Ray Hinsley
- J.P. “Hap” Hunnicutt
- Chris Richardson
- Wesley Sinor
- Joe Van Matre
Non-elected members (past presidents and chairmen of the board):
- Jim Bloodworth
- Don D. Jordan
- Jack A. Lyons
- Charles R. “Butch” Robinson
- R.H. “Steve” Stevens
- P. Michael Wells
- Lifetime appointments:
- Ed McMahon
OFFICERS
The board re-elected Joel Cowley, president and CEO; Jennifer Hazelton, chief financial officer; and Sherry Hibbert, general counsel, for 2019.
Eighteen vice presidents, elected for one-year terms, supervise the activities of the Rodeo’s more than 34,000 volunteers serving on 108 different committees. Each vice president may serve up to three terms.
Newly elected vice presidents:
- Thomas J. Baker III, Round Top, Texas – president, Tom Baker Insurance
- Ed Decora, Houston – CEO, Ed’s Precision Manufacturing, LLC
- E.R. “Butch” Guerrero, Houston – retired, Dow Chemical
- Bill Hanna, Houston – principal, Fayez Sarofim Company
- Emmett Story Jr., Houston – owner, Story Electric Company
- Tonya Yurgensen-Jacks, Houston – global account manager – Cisco Systems, Inc.
Elected to second terms:
- Roger Camp
- J W Daubert III
- Terence Fontaine, Ed.D.
- Kelly J. Larkin, M.D.
- Mike Moss
- Taylor Whitaker
Elected to third terms:
- Michael C. Curley, Corporate Secretary
- Michael Galvan
- Jeffrey S. “Jeff” Hayes
- James Alan Kent
- Archie Thompson
- Wendy Vandeventer, Assistant Corporate Secretary / Treasurer
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At the annual membership meeting on Thursday, May 31, the general membership elected 20 new directors to the Rodeo’s board:
- Stacy Stidham Anderson
- John M. Causey
- Sandra L. Crook
- Carl “Bo” Dawson
- John Gus “Yonny” Demeris
- Lloyd R. French IV
- Kevin H. Harris
- Tom Harrison
- Toby Hicks
- Jacqueline “Jackie” Hodges
- Michelle Iversen Jeffery
- Diane Johnson
- Russell Jones
- Sean Lehane
- William “Billy” Parker
- Mac Ruffeno
- Julie Sacco
- James D. “Jim” Sartwelle III
- Laurie Tarver
- Wesley Ward
LIFETIME DIRECTORS
In addition, 15 directors were honored with the status of lifetime director for their dedicated service to the Rodeo:
- Mary Jane Albert
- Tucker Blair
- Karen Bridges
- Roger Campbell
- Beth Cardono
- Gene Clark
- Thomas Conner
- Al Farrack
- Chester Howard
- Joe McDaniel
- Frank Miller
- Clay Parker
- Joe Pedigo
- Lon Randazzo
- Alan Tinsley