WITS 2015 Gala Invitation

HONORING

F. Xavier Peña, Houston Endowment Inc.

Xavier is the former Board President for Writers in the Schools, where he led the
organization to flourish for seven years, expanding programs for underserved children.
Xavier has made a meaningful difference for the people and places of Houston as Chairman
of the Board of the Downtown Redevelopment Authority, former Chairman of the Board
of Santa Maria Hostel, and through his board leadership of Discovery Green Conservancy.
As Vice President of Finance and General Counsel at the Houston Endowment Inc., he
manages legal and financial affairs and serves on the executive leadership team. Prior to
this role, he represented Plains All American Pipeline L.P. as Senior Counsel and practiced
law at Vinson & Elkins LLP. Xavier is a Senior Fellow of American Leadership Forum.

BENEFITING

Writers in the Schools

Since 1983, WITS has brought innovation, connection, and education to Houston,
teaching creative writing in school and community classrooms. By fostering
collaboration between teachers and professional authors, WITS cultivates
critical thinking, problem solving, and literacy in 36,000 underserved students
and teachers each year. WITS believes in the power of ideas and the imagination,
igniting youth voices through interactive performance poetry slams, digital
learning games, and the first-ever Youth Poet Laureate program for Houston.
WITS is the largest literary arts organization in Texas, leads an international
network of 32 organizations, and is a founding member of the Brave New Voices
network, fueling social change through arts education and youth development.

6:00 pm

Silent Auction Opens | Games + Cocktails

7:30 pm

The WITS Story | Dinner

Honoring F. Xavier Peña
Student Performances
Houston Youth Poet Laureate

9:00 pm

Silent Auction Check-Out

CREATIVE COCKTAIL / BUSINESS ATTIRE

Thursday, November 12, 2015

THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF HOUSTON

1811 Briar Oaks Lane • Houston, Texas 77027

THANKING

PRESENTING SPONSOR

Chef Monica Pope

ADVOCATES BENEFACTORS Lizzie and Scott Fletcher |
Shelley and Matt Stein
Susman Godfrey LLP | Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos,
Juni and Chanler Langham Alavi & Mensing P.C. Lauren and Geoffrey Harrison
Friends of Garrick Malone
Travelers Beth and Jason Bernal Nancy McGregor and

UNDERWRITERS Jessica Rossman and Gordon Bethune Neal Manne
Friends of Xavier Peña
Drs. Melanie Malinowski and Bright Sky Press Phillips 66 Company
Andy Cunningham Friends of Cynthia and
Nataya and Johnny Carter |
MaryScott Hagle and Daniel Kornberg | Amy and Joseph Grinstein | David Portugal
Mitra and Joshua Woody Rochelle Tafolla and Richard Hess | Friends of Sheleah and
Shelly and Alex Kaplan |
KROGER Alicia and Shawn Raymond Antonio Reed
Bryn K. Larsen Spanish Over Coffee
Stephanie Larsen Friends of Katie and Mark Cervenka Vinson & Elkins LLP
Xavier Peña and Family
Friends of Carliss Chatman AUCTIONVacCaoOtmiorimngPsiiFnhs+usaoWinltooAnGrBireattodimwnoPgoetohsrReketrtyreats

Friends of the Downtown At time of printing
Redevelopment Authority

AMBASSADORS IN-KIND

CenterPoint Energy Bright Sky Press
Jennifer Langdon and Joe Crownover Copy.com
Nancy and Joe Ford KROGER
Sandy and Lee Godfrey Seebridge Media
IPFC Corp.
Catherine Orr
Rick Snyder
Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro

Art by Marlo Saucedo | Poem by WITS Student Oluwatobi, Age 11

JOIN US

CELEBRATION CHAIRS

Juni and Chanler Langham

HOST COMMITTEE Karen McKibben and William Morris Shannon Buggs
Marcia and Mike Nichols Mark Cervenka
Catherine D. Anspon Laura and Michael Pipkin Lucy Herring Chambers
Beth and Jason Bernal Cynthia and David Portugal Brian S. Cheadle
Jessica Rossman and Gordon Bethune Linda and Michael Riehl Mark Cueva
Marion and Eliot Bowytz Barry Mandel and Scott Sawyer Megan Ebadat
Katherine and Gordon Center Gena Scurry Kelley Edwards
Lucy and Sam Chambers Sara Speer Selber Lizzie Pannill Fletcher
Carliss Chatman Roxy and Eric Siegrist MaryScott Hagle
Stephanie Coleman Roxanne Almaraz and Chanler Langham
Nicola Parente and Aaron Courtland Bryn K. Larsen
Melanie Malinowski and Chrissy Stegemoller Ryan Leach
Mitra and Joshua Woody Garrick Malone
Andy Cunningham Kimberly Murphy
Robin and Tony Davidson AUCTION CHAIR Michael Pipkin
Lizzie and Scott Fletcher Chris Porter
Nancy and Joe Ford Mitra Woody Sheleah Reed
Tina and Craig Freedman Rick Snyder
Sandy and Lee Godfrey AUCTION COMMITTEE Giuseppe Taurino
Lauren and Geoffrey Harrison Julie Tran
Lisa Helfman Beth Bernal Mitra Woody
Rochelle Tafolla and Richard Hess Stephanie Coleman
Lenora Noroski and Frank Inselbuch Jan Mitchel Johnson EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jan Mitchell Johnson Nicola Parente
Sis and Hasty Johnson Linda Riehl Robin Reagler, PhD
MaryScott Hagle and Daniel Kornberg
Shari Koziol BOARD PRESIDENT witshouston.org
Bryn K. Larsen
Stephanie Larsen Carliss Chatman
Ryan Leach
Nancy McGregor and Neal Manne BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jacqueline S. Martin
Greg P. Audel
Beth Bernal
Helen Bow