Speaker: Hon. Kyle Janek, Texas State Senator, District 17 www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist17

After serving eight years in the Texas House, Janek has served as a state Senator the past two legislative sessions. After his first session, he made the Texas Realtor Honor Roll for his work on issues important to homeowners like property tax relief. In addition, the Texas Association of Business designated him a Fighter for Free Enterprise. He has also been cited for his leadership on health care issues and historic preservation. The senator currently serves as vice chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and as a member of the Finance Committee and the Education Committee. He will discuss some of the accomplishments and challenges of the recently completed 79th Legislative sessions earlier this year.

Candidate Forum - Houston City Council Race District C 

Ann Clutterbuck www.clutterbuckforcouncil.com

Brian Cweren www.brian2005.com

George Hittner www.georgehittner.com

Judy Siverson www.judysiverson.com

In what is arguably the most hotly contested race for the seat currently held by term-limited incumbent Mark Goldberg, these 4 Republican candidates will present their qualifications and communicate their views on how if elected, they feel they can best serve our city and their district on council. Each candidate will be given an opportunity to give a short opening introduction followed by a question and answer session in which 4 of the questions will have been predetermined and given to the candidates in advance. We will then conclude the program by allowing each candidate to give a brief closing statement.

Speaker: Roy Morales, Candidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position 1 www.roymorales.com

A retired Lt. Colonel in the United States Air Force, Morales has most recently served our city as Chief Technology Officer for the Houston Fire Department and the Houston Emergency Center. If elected, he hopes to make security a priority by protecting our industries, neighborhoods and families through better emergency services and fighting for our city's fair share of Homeland Security funding. He also supports our city lobbying the federal government for a broader, more comprehensive immigration and border protection program. Morales is seeking the At-Large seat currently held by term-limited incumbent Mark Ellis.

Speaker: William E. "Bill" King, Former Mayor, City of Kemah www.chron.com/hurricanes

Speaker: Martha Wong, Texas State Representative, District 134 www.marthawong.com

Securing property tax relief for homeowners, creating a more competitive educational environment for public school children and better flood control for vulnerable areas were just a few of Rep. Wong's priorities in the recently completed 79th Legislative Sessions. Her previous accomplishments include support for insurance reform, governmental reorganization and more stringent environmental protection regulations. Rep. Wong will discuss some of the meaningful accomplishments by lawmakers this year and the possibility of another special session.

Speakers: Tim Miller, Director and Joe Huston, Search Director, Texas EquuSearch Mounted Search and Rescue Recovery Team www.texasequusearch.org

Started in 2000, Texas EquuSearch was formed to provide volunteer horse-mounted search and recovery for lost and missing persons. Made up primarily of experienced horse owners, the team's existence and purpose is dedicated to the memory of Laura Miller, the daughter of it's director, Tim Miller. Ms. Miller was abducted and murdered in Galveston County in 1984. Most recently, the organization has been in Aruba aiding the search for Natalee Holloway. Tim and Joe will discuss some of their experiences there.

Speaker: John Elford, Candidate for Houston City Council At-Large, Position 2  www.johnelford.com

A graduate of the University of Houston, John is a business and community leader that is much needed on Council to continue our city's growth and prosperity. A 44 year resident of Houston, John has literally built our city through his work in the fields of architecture, engineering and construction. He has also spent 15 years in environmental remediation and consultation. John will discuss his solutions for streamlining inspections and the building permitting process and, ideas on ways to expand the tax base thereby allowing room for much needed tax roll backs.

Speaker: Neil Bush, Chairman & CEO, Ignite! Learning Products www.ignitelearning.com  

Son of  former President George H. W. Bush and younger brother of both our current president (W.) and the governor of Florida (Jeb), Bush heads up Ignite! Learning, an academic publisher offering comprehensive middle school curriculum solutions. Customized to state and local priorities, Ignite! Learning products and services deliver meaningful academic results through multimedia rich courseware and qualified professional support. Neil will update us on the progress of Ignite! and share some success stories from school districts who are using the products.

Speaker: T. Gerald Treece, Vice President, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, South Texas College of Law www.stcl.edu

As Distinguished Professor and Director of Advocacy at South Texas College of Law, Treece leads the program the school started in 1978. Most recently, the school was named the nation's best for trial advocacy training, according to a poll of law school faculty by U.S. News and World Report. For years, South Texas students have honed their skills in moot court competition under Treece's leadership. The school currently holds 91 national titles. Associate Dean Treece will tell us more about STCL's acclaim and long-term domination of national competition in trial advocacy.

Speaker: John Culberson, U. S. Congressman, 7th District of Texas www.culberson.house.gov

Elected in 2000, Culberson is the third Congressman to represent District 7. First created in 1965, he followed first George H. W. Bush and then, Bill Archer. A native Houstonian and graduate of SMU and South Texas College of Law, Culberson served 14 years in the Texas House of Representatives before his election to Congress. He currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and on numerous Subcommittee's including Transportation. While at home during his  recess from DC, the Congressman will discuss various topics of importance to Houstonians like the BRAC Commission hearings, creation of the new Border Protection Corps, and the bill recently approved by Congress for roads, mass transit and other transportation projects in our region.

Speaker: Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts  www.window.state.tx.us

Republican gubernatorial candidate, Strayhorn was the first woman in history elected as Texas Comptroller. She was re-elected in 2002 with the highest vote total of any winning statewide elected official in Texas getting more votes than any woman candidate nationwide of either party. She is a common sense conservative and an education watchdog calling herself "One tough Grandma, watching out for Texas." Strayhorn is the daughter of the late Page Keeton, the long-time dean of UT Law School in Austin. Her youngest son, Scott McClellan, is White House Press Secretary to President Bush. Strayhorn will discuss her vision for Texas if elected governor in 2006.

Speaker: Dwayne Bohac, State Representative, District 138 www.bohac.com

Property tax reform, strengthening public education and neighborhood quality of life ranked at the top of Rep. Bohac's priorities for the recently completed 79th Legislative Session. Dwayne will discuss meaningful accomplishments by lawmakers so far this year and what the Texas Legislature achieved during the subsequent Special Sessions called by the governor.

Speaker: Mark White, President, GeoVox Security, Inc. www.geovox.com

Former Attorney General and governor of the State of Texas, White is president of GeoVox Security who markets the AVIAN Heartbeat Detector. AVIAN is an acronym for Advanced Vehicle Interrogation and Notification Systems which consists of an industrial personal computer loaded with specially developed software, a touch-screen monitor and special sensors. This product detects the presence of persons hidden in vehicles in less than 1 minute. AVIAN is currently in use worldwide in prisons, military compounds and border patrol checkpoints. Mr. White will discuss it's merits in reducing illegal border infiltration and human smuggling.

No Meeting. Happy Birthday USA!

We hope you had a fabulous 4th of July holiday weekend.

Speaker: Bert Keller, Vice President-Sales, Nestor Traffic Systems www.nestor.com

Former Houston City Councilmember serving District G, Bert now works for Nestor, an emerging leader in video-based monitoring products and services for traffic management and safety. Bert will tell us about some of the latest technology used in these innovative systems.

Speaker: Malcolm W. Browne, Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Veterans Museum in Texas www.theveteransmuseumintexas.org

After eight years of lobbying public officials about it's merits, Malcolm's dream of building a national veterans museum in south Houston may just become reality. Browne, an investment banker and former Marine who served during the Vietnam War, thinks Houston is a natural fit for a national museum honoring the American soldier. He will discuss the progress and current status of the project.

Speaker: Andy Horne, Swift Boat Veteran www.swiftvets.com 

Andy volunteered for Swift Boat duty and served our country during the Vietnam War. He will recount some of his experiences while serving during the same time as another infamous Swiftee, John Kerry.

Speaker: H. Frank Stanley, Associate Director, Cushman &  Wakefield of Texas and U.S. Army Reservist www.army.mil

Having recently completed 20 years of military service leaving as a Captain in 2004, Frank served the U. S. Army as Chief of Intelligence to the War Crimes Investigation Team. Frank will share some of his experiences while stationed in Baghdad, Iraq.

Speaker: Bert Keller, Vice President-Sales, Nestor Traffic Systems www.nestor.com

Former Houston City Councilmember serving District G, Bert now works for Nestor, an emerging leader in video-based monitoring products and services for traffic management and safety. Bert will tell us about some of the latest technology used in these innovative systems.

Speaker: S. Ward Casscells III, M. D., Vice President of Biotechnology, UT Health Science Center and U.S. Army Reservist www.publicaffairs.uth.tmc.edu/distictions/

Dr. Casscells leads the U. S. Army's T5 program, Texas Training and Technology for Trauma and Terrorism, which he will discuss. He is also the founding chairman of  Defense of Houston. Dr. Casscells, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at UT Medical School is involved in patient care and research in the detection and prevention of heart attacks and strokes.

During the month of May, most GHPC programs will be dedicated to those who died serving our nation during War.

The official day of remembrance is observed on Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, which falls on May 30th this year. To many people, especially our nation's thousands of  veterans, this day, viewed by many as simply a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of Summer, means so much more. This day, which has a history stretching back all the way to the Civil War, is an important reminder of those who died in the service of their country. For more on the history of the holiday, originally known as Decoration Day, please click on www.usmemorialday.org 

Speaker: Captain Tyler J. McIntyre, U. S. Military Academy, West Point www.usma.edu

Captain McIntyre has recently returned from Iraq and will speak on his experiences dealing with the different cultural, tribal and religious influences there. Tyler is preparing to enter William and Mary University to earn his JAG Military Law Degree.

Son of distinguished Pachyderm member, Judge Tim Taft, Tim, Jr. has recently returned from Iraq and will reflect back on some of his experiences there. A Texas A&M graduate in 2000, Tim was deployed to Iraq in March of 2003 and was part of the 808th Engineer Battalion that laid pipeline from Kuwait into Iraq and later part of the 980th Engineer Battalion that built roads and force protection berms at Taji.

Having worked in Marine Intelligence www.intelligence.gov has afforded both David and Robert a different perspective and insight into what our coalition forces have dealt with during their occupation in Iraq. They will share these experiences as well as discuss how they dealt with the manner in which the major news organizations inaccurately reported events there.

On the management team of our nation's leading adult stem cell research company www.regenetech.com, Dr. Rudd will speak on the science of the stem cell research involved in organ regeneration. He will also discuss embryonic and adult stem cells and the legal and health implications of this type of research.

This Tuesday, the day after Memorial Day, will be dedicated to honoring the service and legacy of our military heroes.

Speakers: Susan Foutch, Executive Director and Sarita A. Hixson, Chairman, of the San Jacinto Museum of History www.sanjacinto-museum.org

In recognition of the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, Ms. Foutch and Ms. Hixson will discuss some of the events of the Battle and will relate much of the significance of this important event in the history of our great State of Texas. The museum is operated by the San Jacinto Museum of History Association - a non-profit organization associated with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

Speaker: Ron Stone, President of Stonefilms of Texas, Inc. www.stonefilms.com

Having spent over 30 years broadcasting the news on TV stations KHOU and KPRC, Ron Stone is a household name in Houston. The Houston Chronicle once called him the most popular and revered news anchor the city has ever known. After an award-winning career, Stone founded the company that bears his name and has since earned new awards and accolades as Stonefilms has become a preferred choice for quality commercial production - from business profiles to documentaries to instructional videos.

On a national level, Social Security reform is a hot topic of discussion among most citizens of our country www.ssa.gov/qa.htm . Our panel will include Robert Lampkin, AARP Associate State Director, HYR President Jessica Colon and U. S. Congressman Kevin Brady, who sits on the House Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security. They will discuss the current state of these reform efforts and how they could ultimately affect us and future generations.

Speaker: J. P. Bryan, Texas Historian and CEO, Torch Energy Advisors

In recognition of Texas Independence Day, Mr. Bryan will discuss some of the events and "infamous" participants involved with the Battle of San Jacinto, some of which you may not have read about in Texas History books! In addition, he will inform us about the Texas Historical Commission www.thc.state.tx.us, the State Agency for Historic Preservation.

Speaker: Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, M. D., At Large City Council Member, Position 3

Dr. Sekula-Gibbs, the first physician ever to be elected to the Houston City Council, is serving her second term as an At Large Council Member www.houstontx.gov/council/3/index.html. She has always been an advocate for a "Healthy Houston" and is the leading proponent for a citywide public smoking ban. Dr. Sekula-Gibbs will update us on where Council currently stands on this issue as well as discuss her stance on the merger of the SAFEClear and Motorist Assistance Programs.

On a national level, Social Security reform is a hot topic of discussion among most all citizens of our country. Mr. Hardwick will discuss the current state of these reform efforts and how they could ultimately affect us and/or our children. He will also tells us more about the history of the Social Security Administration www.ssa.gov .

Strategic Public Affairs is a full-service public affairs firm and a partner in the National Field Resource Network www.nfrn.net, which specializes in providing corporations, trade associations and lobbyists with an efficient source for generating grassroots and public affairs action on legislative issues. Mr. Biar will discuss some of his firm's past achievements and current projects involving pending legislation.

Speaker: Court Koenning, Executive Director - Harris County Republic Party

Court will discuss the day-to-day operations of the HCRP www.harriscountygop.com and reflect on 2004 accomplishments. In addition, he will talk about goals for 2005 and will relate the strategic challenges he faced in planning and executing the trip of Harris County Republicans to Washington, D.C. for the Inaugural festivities.

Speaker: Jessica Colon, President - Houston Young Republicans

Presiding over HYR www.houstonyr.com , the Texas Young Republican Federation Club of the Year, Jessica (who was also named TYRF's Woman of the Year) will discuss some of HYR's 2004 crowning achievements including their role in the nationwide launch of Project Deliver the Vote www.pdvpac.com. Jessica will also share some of her experiences (and slides) from their trip to the Inauguration.

Mr. Michel will speak on the challenges and issues involving the implementation of Mayor Bill White's SAFEClear Towing Program www.houstontx.gov  which is designed to alleviate some of the traffic congestion problems facing our city. 

CPA www.servicesca.org/bob_lemer.htm is a bipartisan organization whose primary purpose is providing area voters with pertinent financial information underlying selected local issues. Mr. Lemer will discuss how Harris County's current (and free) Motorist Assistance Program www.hcso.hctx.net/patrol/map or MAP, is a much better and more citizen-friendly alternative to SAFEClear.

Speaker: Charles Bacarisse, Harris Co. District Clerk

You're invited to the first Greater Houston Pachyderm Club luncheon of 2005 as we kick-off the new year with Charles Bacarisse who will discuss his Harris County Document Preservation Program. In addition, Mr. Bacarisse will install the 2005 GHPC Officers & Directors.

Speaker: Terri Leo, State Board of Education, Dist. 6

Terri Leo describes her work on the State Board of Education defining quality standards for textbooks. Ms. Leo led the fight for the adoption of textbooks defining marriage between a man and a woman.