|
July
1 |
Speaker
Judge
Eva Guzman,

14th Court of Appeals |
Judge
Guzman was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the 14th Court of Appeals
in November 2001 and took her public oath of office
on February 19, 2002. She was elected in November 2002, to fill an
unexpired term and in November 2004, to a full six year term.
Prior to this appointment, she was Judge, 309th Family
District Court, and
prior to that she was in private practice in
Civil and Family Law Litigation.
Judge Guzman's resume includes recognition from the
Houston Bar Association and law enforcement organizations, membership
in numerous professional organizations, and involvement in providing
continuing legal education.
She is a graduate of the University of Houston and
the South Texas College of Law. |
July
8
|
Speaker
Michael
Schofield

Governor’s
Rick Perry’s Office
|
Mike
Schofield served from 2003 to 2005 as Assistant General Counsel to
Texas Governor Rick Perry. His duties included advising the governor
on proposed legislation involving tort reform, restricting government’s
power of eminent domain, property tax reform, business taxation, election
law and several other areas.
Mike is a Houstonian, who previously practiced
law for six years with the Houston law firm of Baker Botts, LLP. He
then practiced anti-trust law with the Washington, D.C. firm of Howrey & Simon,
and was Senior Litigation Counsel at Equiva Services, LLP, a joint
venture of Shell Oil Company and Texaco, Inc.
Mike is a Life Member
of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo,
where he serves on the speaker's committee. |
July
15
|
|
To
be announced.
|
July
21
|
Speaker
Paul
Bettencourt

Harris
Country Tax Assessor / Collector |
Paul
Bettencourt has served as Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector for
eight years. He leads a Tax Office staff of 500 that annually handles
3.7 million vehicle registration renewals (generating $696 million
annually), collects $2 billion on 1.3 million individual property accounts,
and maintains a voter registration roll of 1.8 million.
The hallmark of his administration is been “Smart Government,” which
means being accountable to the taxpayer. As Tax Assessor-Collector,
he has often provided information to the public on issues impacting
the taxpayer.
Prior to taking office, Paul was worked as a consultant
for clients in industry and government, and he has held a number
of positions in the Harris County Republican Party.
Paul earned his Bachelor of Science degree from
Texas A & M University’s
College of Engineering in Industrial Distribution.
|
| July
28 |
|
To
be announced. |
|
| June
3 |
Speaker
Dr.
Robert Ivany

Major General, US Army, Ret., and
President
of
St. Thomas University
|
Dr.
Ivany recently returned from the Middle East and a New York visit
with the Pope. He
will speak on many current topics of interest.
After retiring from the Army, Dr. Ivany joined the
faculty of the Graduate School of Business, Columbia University as
an adjunct professor in Executive Education. On
July 1, 2004, Dr. Robert Ivany became the eighth president of the University
of St. Thomas.
Prior to his retirement from the Army with the rank
of Major General, he presided over the U.S. Army
War College in Carlisle, Pa. During his various commands as an armored
cavalry officer, he led soldiers in the United States, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia, the Federal Republic of Germany and Vietnam where he was wounded
in action and decorated for valor.
Ivany also served in a number of unique positions including
the Army Aide to the President of the United States from 1984 to 1986
and an assistant professor of history and football coach at the Military
Academy at West Point.
In addition to earning a Bachelor of Science degree from
the U.S. Military Academy, he received a Ph.D. in History from the
University of Wisconsin in Madison.
|
| June
10 |
Speaker
Charles Cotton

Civil Trial Attorney |
Charles
Cotton will speak on key topics related to the Second Amendment and of
interest to Texas gun owners - the Castle Doctrine,
the Heller (Washington D.C. gun ban) case in the Supreme Court, and
the Joe Horn case, among others.
Charles is a civil trial attorney and partner with the Cotton-Farrell
law firm in Houston. He has been a member of the NRA Board of Directors
since 2001 and served on numerous NRA Committees.
Closer to home, he is the Vice-Chairman of the Texas State Rifle Association
Legislative Committee and was a consultant to the sponsors of the
original Concealed Handgun License bill. He is an NRA Certified Instructor & Texas
Concealed Handgun Instructor. |
| June
17 |
Speaker
Jim Grace

Advisor to Texans for Lawsuit Reform |
Jim
Grace has been a valuable supporter of Texans for Lawsuit Reform for
many
years, traveling across the state speaking to
professional and civic groups on behalf of TLR.
Mr. Grace advocated
for TLR in Austin during the 2007 legislative session and has been a
member of TLR’s
Legislative Research Team, playing a key role in researching
and drafting civil justice reform bills that were a part of TLR’s
legislative agendas.
Jim is a partner of the
law firm of Baker Botts where he is in the government relations section. He is
a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Houston
Law Center. |
| June
24 |
Speaker
Jerry Epstein

Co-founder and Past President of
the DPFT. |
Jerry
Epstein holds degrees from Rice and the University of Houston and has
served as an officer in the US Marines Corps. In 1995 he joined with
Dr. Alan Robison, the retired chairman of the department
of pharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center,
to form the Drug Policy Forum of Texas
(DPFT) to promote discussion
of scientific information about drugs and alternatives to a failed
drug war.
In 2002 the Forum helped the James A. Baker III Institute for Public
Policy at Rice University organize its first international conference
on drug policy.
Jerry will speak on the benefits of medical marijuana.
|
|
| May
6 |
Speaker
Michael Quinn Sullivan


President and CEO
Empower Texans |
Empower Texans exists to create and
sustain a system of strong fiscal stewardship within all levels of
Texas government, ensuring the greatest amounts of economic and personal
liberty, and promoting public policies that provide individuals with
the freedom to use their strengths and talents in pursuit of greater
opportunities.
Michael Quinn Sullivan is president and CEO of Empower
Texans, and its premier project, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
A graduate of Texas A&M University, Sullivan began his career as
a reporter before
leaving journalism to serve
in a Congressional staff position. Sullivan returned to Texas in 2001
to serve as director of media and government relations
for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In 2006, he was tapped to lead
Empower Texans and begin Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.
Sullivan’s commentaries have appeared in newspapers
and magazines around the state and nation. He is a frequent guest on
talk radio programs, and is regularly called upon to address policy
and political issues before groups and organizations across the country. |
| May
13 |
|
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| May
20 |
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| May
27 |
Speaker
Fred
Zeidman

Director of Prosperity Bank
|
Fred
Zeidman is an expert on Israel/US relations – will
speak to us on his perspective and current relations in this area.
Fred Zeidman was appointed Chairman of the United States Holocaust
Memorial Council by President George W. Bush in March 2002. The Council
is the governing board of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
A prominent Houston-based business and civic leader, Mr. Zeidman is
the former Chairman of the Board of Seitel, Inc. and Chairman of the
Board of Turnaround Partners, Inc. and Corporate Strategies, Inc.
In 2004 he joined Greenberg Traurig as Senior Managing Director of
Governmental Affairs.
Mr. Zeidman also currently serves as a director of Prosperity Bank
in Houston.
Mr. Zeidman holds a Bachelor's degree from Washington University in
St. Louis, and a Master's in Business Administration from New York
University |
|
| April
1 |
|
District
Attorney's Office |
| April
8 |
Speaker
Michael Berry

Talk Radio Host |
Michael
Berry was recently voted “Best Radio Show Host in Houston” by
readers of the popular blog, “The Insite”. And, according
to Houston Chronicle political columnist Kristen Mack, "Michael Berry
has made it a practice to provoke. He's not hesitant to express
himself." Michael wants his show to be a "controversial
discussion of issues ranging from politics to pop culture." He says, "I
want people to discuss openly what they typically think, but can't
say. His popular talk show can be heard on KTRH
Radio, AM 740
Michael
is a former city councilman, elected three times at-large.
He has a doctor of jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas
School of Law and a master of laws degree from the University of Nottingham
in England. He has been married 13 years to Nandita "Nandy" Berry,
a lawyer who hails from Hyderabad, India. |
| April
15 |
Speaker
Gary Polland

Editor
Texas Conservative Review |
Gary
Polland has been a practicing attorney for more than 30 years doing a
mix of government relationsand trial work. He served
as Republican Chairman in Harris County Texas from 1996 to 2002, where
he earned national recognition for the party's success and for his Republican
party building efforts. He is a key Republican Party fund raiser.
Gary is author of a book titled "A Time
for Choosing 35 Years Later" an update of President
Reagan's classic speech and is currently editor of Texas
Conservative Review, a bi-weekly E-letter and co-hosts The
Connection - Red, White and Blue on PBS in Houston.
Gary received his Bachelor Degree in Business Administration
and his Juris Doctor at the University of Texas. He is married and
has two sons. He served in the United States Air Force and Army
reserves. |
| April
22 |
Speaker
Beverly Woolley

Beverly Woolley
Texas State Representative |
Beverly
Woolley, longtime Republican and community activist, is serving her
seventh term in the Texas House of Representatives and is Chairman
of the powerful House Committee on Calendars and serves as a member
on the House Committee on Civil Practices and the House Committee on
Insurance.
Representative Woolley has initiated legislation to protect private
property rights by curbing the use of eminent domain for economic development
purposes, to help small businesses have greater access to health insurance,
to create greater and more efficient access to quality healthcare by
creating the Texas Health Care Council, to protect abused children,
to promote financial literacy, to require progress testing of limited
English proficiency, and to aid law enforcement. She has also actively
supported legislation to curb law suit abuse, establish a state-wide
Do-Not Call List, and to define marriage in Texas as a union between
a man and a woman. |
| April
29 |
Speaker
Judge Mark Davidson

Judge of the 11th District Court |
Judge
Mark Davidson, always
interesting, will address topics from
Texas History to the latest election returns to the judiciary.
Judge Mark Davidson
has been Judge of the 11th District Court since 1989. Since
becoming a judge, he has tried over 400 jury trials and cut the
backlog in the 11th District Court by 70 percent. In 1993,
he was named "Trial Judge of the Year" by the Texas Association
of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists. In 2004, he was
reelected to his fifth term as judge. In December, 2005,
he was reelected by his colleagues as the Administrative Judge
of Harris County.
Judge Davidson is the 26th judge of
the oldest court in the state of Texas. Among the first 25 Judges
of the 11th District Court are two veterans of the battle of San
Jacinto and Texans for whom three Texas Counties have been named. |
MARCH 2008 PROGRAMS
During the Month of February as we approach the primary
elections on March 4th, Pachyderm will be hosting Republican candidates
for all of the contested elections. Please remember that the Greater
Houston Pachyderm does not endorse candidates in primary elections.
|
| March
4 |
 |
No
Meeting - Primary Election Day - elect strong Republican candidates
for State and local offices, including District Attorney, District
Clerk, County Judge, and judges for the criminal and civil courts.
Other programs will be posted shortly |
| March
11 |
Speakers
District
Attorney Run-off Candidates

 |
"I have dedicated my professional career to the pursuit of justice—first,
as a Houston police officer, working my way through college and law
school, then in private practice as a litigator. I was elected criminal
court judge four times in countywide elections, serving for 15 consecutive
years, and then became a senior district judge serving on special
assignments."
"Over her 21 year career, she has risen through the ranks to become
the Chief of the Special Crimes Bureau, which includes supervising
the Major Offender Division, Major Fraud Division, Identity Theft
Division, and Consumer Fraud Division. In
her time as an Assistant District Attorney, she has prosecuted some
of the most high profile cases in the county. "
|
| March
18 |
Speakers
District 22 Run-off
Candidates


|
Dr. Sekula Gibbs strongly supports increased funding for border
patrols, a border fence, and is opposed to amnesty. She
supports replacing the current tax code with a straightforward
and simple to understand Fair Tax based on consumption. She is
proud to be pro-life. She supports increased U.S. energy independence
by supporting the opening of 8 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico
for oil and gas exploration.
"I will work tirelessly to strengthen
and protect our ability to defend America from future attacks . .
.[beginning] with good intelligence and surveillance. . . . I believe
in strengthening our borders with fences, increased surveillance,
increased man power, detention facilities, and an increased commitment
to FULLY enforce our laws . . . . the tax code is broken and should
be completely replaced. . . . I am pro-life
and pro-traditional marriage. "
|
| March
25 |
Speaker
Patrick Henshaw

West Point
Cadet
|
Patrick
will speak on his experiences at the U.S Military Academy. It will
provide us with an opportunity to hear about the state of military
education in the United States and the prospects for a military career.
Patrick
is a graduate of Houston Christian High School and will graduate from
the United States Military Academy in May with a degree in Civil Engineering.
He will then join the Army Corps of Engineers.
Patrick has maintained himself on the Dean’s
List for all 4 years, played Sprint Football for 3 years and is a member
of the USMA Glee Club. |
FEBRUARY
2008 PROGRAMS
Due
to construction at the DoubleTree
Hotel, the meeting on February 26th will be hald in the San Jacinto
Room of the HESS Building
across the street from the DoubleTree.
The
address is 5430 Westheimer Road (click
here for
map).
The cost of the lunch will be $20; parking is free. Please
bring either cash or a check since there will be no credit cards
that can be run by our club. If you bring a check and want to make
it out in advance, please make it out to the "Greater Houston Pachyderm
Club"
During the Month of February as we approach the primary
elections on March 4th, Pachyderm will be hosting Republican candidates
for all of the contested elections. Please remember that the Greater
Houston Pachyderm does not endorse candidates in primary elections.
|
| February
5 |
Speakers
Kelly
Siegler
Doug
Perry
Pat
Lykos
Jim
Lietner |
Candidates
for Harris County District Attorney |
| February
12 |
Speakers
Stan Stanart
Raymond T. Garcia Lindsay Siriko
Louis Guthrie
Ron Hickman
Kirk Bailey
Phil Camus
Judge David Farr
Donna Detamore
Sheri Y. Dean |
Candidates for Justice of the Peace, School Board, and Constable
Candidates for District Court 312.
|
| Februrary
19 |
Speakers
James
A. Passamano
Al
Hoang
Judge
Patricia J. Kerrigan
Melissa
Fertel
Judge
Jeff Shadwick
Erin
Lunceford
John
Jocher
Bill
Moore
Kevin
Keating
Terrace
Wyndham |
Candidates
for Harris County District Courts # 55
Candidates for Harris
County District Court #190
Candidates for District Court 174 |
| February
26 |
Speakers
Cynthia
Dunbar
Brian
Klock
Jim
Squier
John
Manlove
Robert
Talton
Dean
Hrbacek
Pete
Olson
Ryan
Rowley
Shelley
Sekula Gibbs
Kevyn
Bazzy |
Candidates
for US Representative – District 22 |
JANUARY
2008 PROGRAMS
|
| January 1
No Meeting |
 |
| January
8
|
Speaker
Dale Wainwright

Justice
Texas State
Supreme Court
|
In
an historic election, Justice Wainwright was elected
to the Supreme Court of Texas in 2002 and is the first
non-incumbent African American in the history of our State elected
to serve on the Texas Supreme Court.
Justice Wainwright was a defense lawyer for twelve years before
being appointed to the 334th District Court in Houston in 1999
by Governor George W. Bush. He was elected to the District
Court in 2000.
Justice Wainwright also has a long history of public service,
including co-founder of the Aspiring Youth Program, volunteer coach
at the YMCA, and volunteer coach for Little League baseball.
He earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law
School. |
| January
15
|
Special
Program
Click here to see photos from the event. |
The
meeting is going to be a different kind of program with a social time
at the end with cake and coffee. Newly appointed 14th Court of
Appeal justices will be there and the two newly appointed
district court judges have been invited. Newly elected officers will
be installed, and the Annual Pachyderm
service awards wil be presented. |
| January
22
|
Speaker
Gib Walton

President
Texas State Bar Association |
Mr.
Walton will be speaking about the activities of the Texxas State Bar
Association.
In
additon to being President of the Bar Association, Mr.
Walton is a partner with Vinson & Elkins LLP, where he is a
business litigator and served ten years on the Management Committee. His
principal area of practice is civil trial work, where he represents
both plaintiffs and defendants in corporate, securities, commercial,
fiduciary, construction, professional liability, product liability,
probate, and oil and gas/energy litigation.
Mr. Walton is a native Houstonian and earned his J.D. from the University
of Texas School of Law (1975), where he was a Texas Law Review editor.
He has served as Chair of both the Houston Bar Foundation
and the Houston Volunteer Lawyers Program.
He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in construction
law, as a “Texas Super Lawyer” in business litigation (Texas
Monthly 2003-07), and in Chambers USA: America’s Leading
Business Lawyers in commercial litigation. |
| January
29
|
Speakers
Judge Ed Emmett

Mr.Charles Bacarisse

Candidates for Harris County Judge |
The
Greater Houston Pachyderm will be addressed by each of the Candidates
for Harris County Judge, followed by a question and answer period.
Each candidate will respond to written questions submitted during
the presentations.
Please click on these links for information on each
person:
Judge Emmett was appointed to replace retiring County
Judge Eckels in 2007. The election in November 2008 will be for the
first full term since that time, and Charles Bacarisse, formerly the
Harris County Clerk, will be challenging Judge Emmett for that post. |