Orient Express - Hermann Park

FALL 2009 

PARKSIDE 

H E R M A N N P A R K C O N S E R V A N C Y N E W S L E T T E R 

1 

In the Park 

2 

From the Executive 

Director 

3 

New Board Leadership 

4 

Around The Park 

5 

Bridge Dedication 

& Urban Green 

6–7 

Evening in the Park Gala 

8–9 

Lake Plaza 

11 

Upcoming Events 

D E T A I L S I N S I D E ! 

MISSION 

Hermann Park 

Conservancy is a 

citizens’ organization 

dedicated to the 

stewardship and 

improvement of 

Hermann Park— 

today and for 

generations to 

come. 

in the park 

Kinder Station 

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Bridge 

The annual Evening in the Park Gala 

(see p. 4-5) kicked off the Lake Plaza opening 

weekend celebration on Friday, April 17, 

2009, while a public ribbon-cutting 

ceremony followed on Saturday morning. 

Train engineer “Big John” Glaze, who 

retired this spring after 40 years with 

Hermann Park Railroad, gave the word for 

children present to blow their whistles as 

the train made its inaugural arrival at Kinder 

Station. Whimsical performances by 

students in the Carver Aldine Dance 

Company topped off the celebration. 

Since its opening, Lake Plaza has enthralled 

visitors with its expansive native plantings and 

scenic promenades, as well as impressive, 

Pedal Boat Lagoon 

The new Lake Plaza is officially open! 

functional structures — from the grand 

Kinder Station and the elegant Tiffany & 

Co. Foundation Bridge, to much-needed 

public restrooms and a useful volunteer and 

maintenance building. 

The recipient of a Leadership Houston 

Award in June, the $11-million improvement 

project has already begun changing the way 

Houstonians think about and use the Park. 

The Conservancy is grateful to its generous 

supporters who made it all possible, 

including The Brown Foundation, Inc., 

The Fondren Foundation, the City of Houston, 

Houston Endowment Inc., Kinder Foundation, 

John P. McGovern Foundation, and 

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. 

www.hermannpark.org 

Photos by Conservancy Staff

2 

PARKSIDE / FALL 2009 DONORS 

from the executive director 

Conservancy Staff 

Hermann Park Conservancy is a citizens’ organization. We 

rely on passionate individuals to carry out our mission to 

improve and care for this treasured and invaluable resource. 

Don Short is one such individual, and 

we are most grateful for his leadership 

of the Conservancy as board chair over 

the last two years. With Don at the 

helm, the Conservancy reached many 

milestones, including the opening of 

Lake Plaza and the renovated Hermann 

Park Railroad. 

Doreen Stoller and 

Don Short, retiring 

board chair 

In the words of incoming board 

chair Tom Downing, “Don’s guidance 

has helped the Conservancy break 

new ground, quite literally! Despite 

economic challenges, he kept the 

momentum for the Centennial 

Campaign going. Thanks to his 

direction, we have a great energy 

moving into the new fiscal year.” 

With so many amazing changes over 

the last several years, the condition of 

the Park today is a far cry from where 

it stood in 1992, when community 

members united in their concern for 

the deteriorating jewel. Bill Coats, our 

Evening in the Park Gala honoree, 

was at the forefront of that effort. 

In organizing the group, he brought 

together individuals who remain some of 

the Park’s biggest supporters, including 

Gary Fountain 

Susan Keeton and Marley Lott. When 

asked to share some early memories 

of Bill, Susan recalled, “Until working 

with Bill in early 1992, I didn’t know that 

his casual and low key manner belied 

a fierce dedication to improving 

Houston’s civic landscape.” 

Marley would certainly agree. 

“Bill provided very focused leadership 

in organizing the team and never took 

‘no’ for an answer. I don’t know whether 

to say Bill is like ‘a dog with a bone’ 

when he gets a hold of an idea, or 

maybe a ‘bulldozer’ is a better analogy. 

He is always moving forward,” she 

noted. “Bill embodies and promotes 

the best in Park leadership: passion, 

knowledge and intellect.” 

The dedication of individuals like Don 

Short and Bill Coats has a visible impact 

on Hermann Park. As a supporter of 

the Conservancy, your commitment 

helps us care for the Park’s tree canopy, 

maintain its gardens, and provide 

a safe and inviting environment for 

millions of visitors. Thank you for your 

ongoing support. 

See you in the Park! 

Doreen Stoller 

Nancy Manderson and 

Bill Coats at A Twilight 

Journey by Train 

Centennial Campaign 

$1,000-$4,999 

Julia and Jay Hellums 

Rick Kammerer and Tim Cagle 

$100-$499 

Jo A. Casady 

Demetra C. Jones 

Garden Center 

$1,000-$4,999 

Bridget Johnson 

In-Kind Gifts 

Hotel ZaZa Houston 

Grand Gateway 

$10,000-$24,999 

The Garden Club of Houston 

$1,000-$5,000 

Sharon and Cecil Griffin – In memory of 

Dr. Emil Steinberger 

Hermann Park Railroad 

$1,000-$4,999 

Cecile and John Puckett 

Japanese Garden 

$5,000-$9,999 

Houston Parks Board 

$1,000-$4,999 

Akino and Samuel King 

$100-$499 

Clay & Company 

Hanwa American Corp 

Midori and Akihiro Mochizuki 

Akinobu Nonaka 

Yukihiko and Ako Nose 

Hisao Okata 

Kubo’s Sushi Bar and Grill 

In-Kind Gifts 

Greenleaf Nursery Company 

Reforestation and Maintenance 

$10,000-$24,999 

William F. Donovan – 

In memory of Patrick Donovan 

$5,000-$9,999 

Christopher Lykes Knapp 

$100-$499 

Mary and Jerry Hanus – 


Donna and Russell Schmitt – 


In-Kind Gifts 

Lisa and Greg Minicone 

Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC 

The Whiting-Turner Contracting 

Company 

Eagle Scout Service Projects 

$1,000-$4,999 

Troop 55 Boy Scouts of America – 

supporting Scout Barrett Cloud

$100-$499 

Gelea and Larry Clem – 

supporting Scout Taylor Clem 

Plant a Tree 

$1,000-$4,999 

Franci and Jim Crane 

$500-$1,000 

Ann and Don Short – In honor of 

Wade Brill, Harry Tudor, Quentin Baxter, 

Jack Collier, Walter Cayce, Jamie Russell, 

and Scott Hereford 

$100-$499 

Elizabeth and Robert Arnold – 

In honor of Cherie Flores’ birthday 

Susan and Sanford Criner – 

In honor of Liz Howard 

Susan and Sanford Criner – 

In honor of Reggie Smith 

Shannon Langrand – 

In memory of Josephine Kelley 

Mike McBath – 

In honor Laurence K. McMahon 

Mike McBath – 

In honor of Gabrielle M. Messina 

Kitty and Peter Quinn – 

In memory of Mrs. Jean Clarkson 

Kitty and Peter Quinn – 

In memory of Mr. Jerry Suddath 

Carolyn and Jimmy Robertson – 

In honor of their grandchildren 

Lauren Robertson, Carin Robertson, 

and James Stanton 

Rotary Grove 

$500-$999 

River Oaks Rotary Charitable Trust 

Volunteer Programs 

$1,000-$4,999 

Direct Energy 

Houston Young Lawyers Foundation 

In-Kind Gifts 

The John C. Freeman Weather Museum 

The Health Museum 

Legacy Land Trust 

Bench Dedications 

$100-$499 

Wendy and Todd McLaughlin 

Dan T. Neale – 

In memory of Erin Gregory Neale 

Garden Conservancy Fund 

$500-$1,000 

Suzanne and Peter Day – 

In memory of Mark Folkes 

$100-$499 

Arif Khan 

Tree Conservancy Fund 

$100-$499 

Rick Kammerer 

HERMANN PARK CONSERVANCY 

The Conservancy Welcomes 

New Board Leadership 

PWL Studio PWL Studio Julie Soefer Conservancy Staff Conservancy Staff PWL Studio PWL Studio 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

1. 

Tom Downing, 

Conservancy Board Chair 

With the beginning of our new 

fiscal year in July, Tom stepped 

up to the position of chair after 

serving as a committed member 

of the board for several years. 

He is the managing partner of 

The Turning Point Group, an 

award-winning customer retention 

and loyalty marketing firm, 

which he co-founded in 2001. As 

an active volunteer and mentor, 

Tom is involved in numerous civic 

and non-profit organizations. 

2. 

Steve Dolman 

Steve is a vice president at 

Hines, where he is responsible 

for the overall management of 

the firm’s Latin America funds. 

He joined the firm in 1991, and 

spent a number of years in 

Brazil where he established 

Hines’ South America region 

and managed the development 

of office and industrial projects. 

Since moving to Houston, he 

has been active in Urban Green, 

the Conservancy’s young 

professionals group. 

3. 

Ellie Francisco 

With an impressive history 

of producing many highly 

successful events for non- 

profits, Ellie brings over 20 

years of non-profit expertise 

in fundraising, development, 

and event solutions to the 

Conservancy board. Four years 

ago, Ellie founded francisco+co 

to provide strategic community 

positioning for corporations 

and non-profits as well as event 

consulting and management. 

4. 

Leisa Holland-Nelson 

Leisa is co-founder, president, 

and COO of ContentActive, 

LLC, where she is responsible 

for sales, marketing, and 

human resources. Prior to 

ContentActive, Leisa was a 

partner in an executive search 

firm in New York; she has also 

held executive merchandising 

and marketing positions in the 

retail and fashion industries. 

She has been a volunteer 

leader within Houston public 

schools and a number of 

non-profits serving Houston. 

5. 

Steppie Holsclaw 

Steppie retired from Chevron 

in 1997 after 20 years of service. 

She and her husband, Bob, have 

been fans of Hermann Park ever 

since moving into the Warwick 

Towers in 1996. They have been 

active Conservancy supporters 

since 1998. 

6. 

Carol Linn 

Carol spent more than 30 years 

serving the natural gas and 

oil industry in a variety of roles, 

including vice president of U.S. 

Industry and Regulatory Affairs 

and vice president of the Data 

Logic Division at IHS as well as 

International Managing Director 

for the IHS Energy Group. Now 

retired, Carol lends her skills to 

several local non-profit boards. 

7. 

Sheridan Williams 

Sheridan has been in the interior 

design business for over 30 years 

and is at the helm of her own 

firm, Sheridan Williams Interiors. 

She serves on several local 

boards, including the M. D. 

Anderson Board of Visitors, St. 

Luke’s Friends of Nursing, and 

Memorial Hermann Children’s 

Hospital. She and her husband, 

John Eddie, also lend a hand 

each holiday to the Houston 

Chronicle’s Goodfellows program, 

which gives toys to children. 

3

4 


Around The Park 

Installation of tree protection and silt 

fencing marks the beginning of 

renovation of the Lake Picnic Area. 

Conservation Posse 

For the second year, Hermann Park Conservancy 

ran its Conservation Posse summer program for 

teens. During the six-week program, the Posse’s 

15 participants executed volunteer projects in 

the Park, learned from weekly speakers about 

environmental issues, and took field trips to 

places like the Weather Museum and the Montgomery 

County Preserve. All in all, the blistering 

summer didn’t stop the Posse from learning 

about composting, endangered species, urban 

gardening, and what it takes to maintain a 

445-acre park. 

Crews steadily remove the big hill 

that obstructs the connection of the 

Hermann Park trail system to the 

trails along Brays Bayou. 

Photos by Conservancy Staff 

Posse members Martin and Vanessa 

learn how to build their own compost 

from items found at home during a 

lesson in the new volunteer building. 

Lake Picnic Area Renovation 

The construction of Phase I of the Lake 

Picnic Area on the north edge of McGovern 

Lake is underway. Silt fence, root cushioning, 

and tree protection are in place for the 

duration of the installation of new drainage, 

concrete walks, lighting, dumpster pad and 

enclosure, and irrigation. The Lake Picnic 

Area covers eight acres from the Molly Ann 

Smith Plaza to the parking lot closest to 

Miller Outdoor Theatre and is scheduled to 

be completed in January 2010. 

Trail Improvements 

Hermann Park walkers and joggers 

have witnessed a flurry of activity on the 

MacGregor side of the Park over the 

summer. Several projects aim to increase 

Park user accessibility, safety, and 

convenience. One component, the pairing 

of North and South MacGregor, will be 

completed this fall. By bringing these two 

streets closer together, Hermann Park will 

reclaim 10.5 acres of land, and work may 

then begin on a new trail under the grand 

live oaks thanks to a federal trail grant. 

Removal of a large hill made of dirt and 

debris on the other side of the streets is 

also underway. This effort, combined with 

the construction of a pedestrian underpass, 

will grant easier access to 35 miles of 

trails along Brays Bayou. 

Urban Green 

$1,000-$4,999 

Momentum Audi 

$500-$999 

The Law Offices of Guerra and Farah 

John McLaughlin 

$100-$499 

Sharon Aboussleman and 

Errol L. McLaughlin 

Carol Acosta 

Geraldo Acosta 

Jerry M. Acosta 

Shelly and Steve Alexander 

Beth Allessandro 

Jacque Altimore 

Christy Batten 

Ute Boese and Jorge M. Rivas 

Adam Brackman 

Amy Branch and Yvonne Boustany 

Zawadi and Antoine Bryant 

Carrie Carson 

CenterPoint Energy 

Betsy Chambers 

Larina Chen 

Sara D’Agostino 

Steve Dolman 

Erin Ferguson 

Gretchen Flader 

Naji Ghorayeb 

Jill and Kenneth Green 

Cassandra D. Guidry 

Kara Harvey 

Thomas E. Hassen, Jr. 

Lisa Hayes 

Angelina Hollins 

JulieBeth 

Bryce Kennard 

Sagi Koborsi 

Becky Koch 

Alison Lands 

Sergio Leal 

Matt LeBlanc 

Jennifer LeGrand 

Yuting Leong 

Amanda Lewis 

Francis Lim 

Gloria Luna 

Roland R. Maldonado 

Kimberly and Jason Martinez 

Brent Mayr 

Casey P. McFaden 

William McGee 

Jose Medrano 

Nyanza and Erik Moore 

Don C. Nelson 

Sharon Noel 

Sandra O’Connor 

Loria and E. Kent Oliver 

Tina Pecot 

Cicely Reid 

Stephen Rimes 

Maidie Ryan 

Hercules Sanchez 

Sarah Smith 

Maria Sosa

SpaNow 

Lauren Elizabeth Summerville 

Genevieve and Michael Todd 

Jennifer Toon 

Kristin Weikel 

Wendy White 

Phoebe Yeager 

Katherine and Mark Yzaguirre 

In-Kind Gifts 

Benjy’s in the Village 

Bombay Sapphire 

BrightBox 

Butter Catering 

DJ Mike C 

China Garden 

Chivas Regal 

Cordua Restaurants 

Crowley Signs 

Houston Fit 

Houston Modern Luxury 

Niko Niko’s Greek and American Cafe 

Pagoda 

Saez & Zouk 

Saint Arnold Brewing Co. 

SpaNow 

Sweet Leaf Tea 

Vintage Lounge 

Whole Foods Market 

Membership 

Platinum ($500-$2,499) 

Anonymous 

Lee and Bob Ardell 

Patricia E. Burrows and Jay E. Ostema III 

Sally and Philip Edmundson – In honor 

of Sanford Criner and Jay Baker 

Elizabeth A. Germani 

G. G. Hsieh and Mark Hausknecht 

Marianne and Rob Jones 

Mary and Terry Murphree 

Kim and Chris Reichert 

Mary and Brian Rollins 

Gabriela Rondon and Sergio Giralt 

Marisue and George Tallichet 

Cheryl and James Watson 

Sallie and Bob Wright 

Gold ($250-$499) 

Anonymous 

Benno J. Bauer, Jr. 

Judith and Frank Douglas 

Linda and Mark Egan 

M. J. and Joe Figard 

The Honorable and Mrs. Lynn N. 

Hughes 

Harriet and Truett Latimer 

Melinda Muse 

Karol and Daniel Musher 

Lynn and Mike Smith 

Lucie Wray Todd 

Shari Winston 

Donor list continued on page 10 

Photos by PWL Studio 



Dedication 

Park neighbors and friends 

Mike Prescott, Earline Jones, 

and Jimmy and Carolyn 

Robertson at the bridge 

dedication 

The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Bridge was 

ready to take the spotlight on its dedication 

day with a huge Tiffany-blue bow tied across 

one entrance. On Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 

city officials, Park friends, and the president 

of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, Fernanda 

Kellogg, were on hand to mark this most 

special occasion. 

The elegant new bridge not only gives 

visitors a new vantage point from which 

to admire the lake view, but it connects 

Lake Plaza to the popular Heart of the Park, 

which includes the Jones Reflection Pool 

Urban Green’s Orient Express 

Chair Jerry Michael Acosta 

with Shellie Stone at 

Orient Express 

Nearly 200 young professionals mixed and 

mingled in Lake Plaza on Saturday, June 

13, 2009 for Urban Green’s Orient Express. 

Hermann Park Railroad was transformed 

for the evening, taking attendees to special 

stops around the Park, designed through 

distinctive food and festivities to resemble 

danielortizphotography 

Sanford Criner, Fernanda Kellogg, Andrea White, 

Council Member Pam Holm, Doreen Stoller, and 

Council Member Wanda Adams take their first walk 

across the new Tiffany & Co. Foundation Bridge. 

and surrounding areas. The Tiffany & Co. 

Foundation awarded Hermann Park Conservancy 

a $1 million grant last fall to name the 

bridge, and guests were excited to see the 

completed project. 

Since its presentation to the public, the bridge 

has offered passersby enhanced visibility 

and accessibility within Hermann Park, and 

perhaps fostered a little romance, too. 

Hong Kong, Istanbul, and Paris. Bombay 

Sapphire provided a specialty drink at each 

destination. 

Following their international journey, guests 

returned to Lake Plaza, where DJ Mike C 

kept the music playing as dusk fell over 

McGovern Lake and guests admired the 

beautiful nighttime view. 

Thank you to Jerry Michael Acosta, 

event chair, as well as the Orient Express 

host committee and Urban Green steering 

committee, for ensuring the success of 

this memorable event. Orient Express 

also helped promote the budding 

Urban Green membership program, which 

has over 100 members to its name! For 

information on Urban Green, please visit 

www.hermannpark.org/urbangreen.html. 

5

6 

PARKSIDE / SPRING 2009 

Clad in stylish wellies and 

rain jackets, guests came out 

in full force to the annual 

Evening in the Park Gala, 

this year themed A Twilight 

Journey by Train, on Friday, 

April 17, 2009. Despite the 

rain, guests enjoyed cocktails 

at Kinder Station and a lovely 

al-fresco dinner by candlelight 

in Molly Ann Smith Plaza. 

Thank you to co-chairs 

Terri and John Havens and 

Kara and Ray Childress for 

putting together such a 

lovely evening. 

The event officially kicked off 

the grand opening of the new 

Lake Plaza. With the celebration 

of the Conservancy’s 

newest accomplishment, it 

was only fitting to recognize 

Bill Coats as the evening’s 

honoree. As a founder of the 

organization, his vision and 

leadership have brought the 

Conservancy a long way 

from its humble roots planting 

trees and cleaning up around 

the Park. 

12 

1 

4 

13 

2 

5 6 7 

8 9 10 11 

14 

3 

Thanks to everyone 

who supported A Twilight 

Journey by Train, which 

raised vital funding for the 

Conservancy.

E V E N I N G I N T H E PA R K — A T W I L I G H T J O U R N E Y B Y T R A I N D O N O R S 

Gifts in honor of Bill Coats, Kara 

and Ray Childress, and Terri and 

John Havens 

I am very proud to have 

been a part of the public/ 

private partnership between 

Hermann Park Conservancy 

and the City of Houston. 

Look around you. There are 

not many public places in the 

world as beautiful as this one. 

With a dedicated HPC Board 

and Staff, incredible work by 

many wonderful planners and 

designers, and tremendous 

support from Houstonians, 

including your support 

tonight, HPC and the City are 

creating one of the best urban 

parks in the world. Houston 

deserves a world class center, 

and this is it. It has been an 

honor to be a part of this 

great work. 

– Bill Coats 

1 Co-chairs Kara and Ray Childress 

2 Terri and John Havens 3 Marley Lott 

and Steve Dolman 4 Annie Amante 

5 Cathy and Giorgio Borlenghi 6 Gail 

Browne and Wanda Williams 7 Lisa 

and Michael Holthouse 8 Mindy 

and Jeff Hildebrand 9 Ricardo and 

Mary Tere Perusquia 10 Sara Dodd- 

Spickelmier and Keith Spickelmier 

11 Anne and Noble Carl 12 Ann Wolf 

and Russell and Lisa Sherrill 13 Eddie 

Norwood, Terrilyn Neale, Dick Dalton, 

and Ann Norwood 14 Louise and 

Denton Cooley and Doreen Stoller 

All A Twilight 

Journey by Train 

event photography 

by PWL Studio 

> 

$25,000-$50,000 

Cherie and Jim Flores 

Nancy and Rich Kinder 

John P. McGovern Foundation 

$10,000-$24,999 

Cathy and Giorgio Borlenghi/ 

Mary Tere and Ricardo Perusquia 

Kara and Ray Childress/ 

Terri and John Havens 

Lykes Knapp Family Fund, 

Eleanor B. McGay Bequest 

Nancy Manderson and Bill Coats/ 

Coats Rose 

$5,000-$9,999 

Marci and Steve Alvis 

Amegy Bank 

Baker Botts L.L.P./Marley Lott 

CenterPoint Energy 

Glenn H. Clements/Stewart Title 

Anne and John Clutterbuck 

Susie and Sanford Criner/ 

Kate McConnico and Jay Baker 

Curtis & Windham Architects 

Direct Energy/Julia and 

Jay Hellums 

Mary Lisa and Ralph Eads 

Ann and J. Kent Friedman/Barbara 

and Charles Hurwitz/Mayor Bob 

and Elyse Lanier 

Kate and Steve Gibson 

The Hildebrand Fund 

Christine and Gregg Hollenberg 

Linda and Barry Hunsaker 

JPMorgan Chase 

Ann Kennedy and Geoffrey Walker 

Sara and John Lindsey 

The Lionstone Group 

June and Tommy Lott 

Miller Theatre Advisory Board 

Vivie and Chris O’Sullivan 

Elizabeth and Gary Petersen 

Ann and Don Short 

Phoebe and Bobby Tudor 

Vaughn Construction 

$2,000-$4,999 

Julie and Drew Alexander 

Minute Maid 

Sadie Gwin and Edward Blackburn 

Anne and Noble Carl 

Thomas Downing 

Jana and Richard Fant 

Diana and Russell Hawkins 

Holthouse Foundation for Kids 

Earline Jones and Mike Prescott 

Carol and Neil Kelley 

Marie Louise and David Kinder 

Blayne Laborde 

Marilyn Lummis 

Petrello Family Foundation 

Gary Pittman 

Laura and Michael Puzio 

Isla and Tommy Reckling 

Leslie and Shannon Sasser 

John E. Walsh, Jr. 

Meg and Dick Weekley 

$1,000-$1,999 

Anonymous 

Carol and Les Ballard 

Marion Barthelme and Jeff Fort 

Karen and Charlie Baughn 

Nini and Tino Bekhradi 

Gina and Devinder Bhatia 

Suzann and Travis C. Broesche 

Robin and Dick Brooks 

Anne and Peter Brown 

Donna and L. Max Buja 

Kathy and Glenn Cambor 

Lois Chiles and Richard Gilder 

Helen and Ben Cohen 

Louise and Denton Cooley 

Almeria T. Cottingham 

Ritsuko Komaki-Cox and 

James Cox 

Mary and Mark D’Andrea 

Isabel and Danny David 

Diane Lokey Farb 

Mary and Bill Flores 

Cece and Mack Fowler 

Michele and Brent Friedman 

Theresa and Raymond Frierson 

Kat Gallagher and 

Michael Rudelson 

Mel Gallagher and Ron Embry 

Susan and Mike Garver 

Ruth and Jack Gay 

Jennifer and Lance Gilliam 

Maureen and Geoff Goddard 

Karen and Don Graul 

Peggy and Ed Hennessy 

Diana and Bill Hobby, Jr. 


Steppie and Robert Holsclaw 

Lindsay and Rand Holstead 

Fontaine Swope Hood and 

Robin Hood 

Courtney and Bo Hopson 

Jill and Dunham Jewett 

Josephine and Phil John 

Kathleen and Mike Johnson 

Susan and Richard Keeton 

Molly and Hugh Rice Kelly 

Margaret Kripke and Josh Fidler 

Dawn and Darrin Landry 

David Langworthy 

Stephanie and Ed Larsen 

Diann and Mike Lewter 

Nancy and Erik Littlejohn 

Kay and Clark Martin 

Kirby and Scott McCool 

Anne and John Mendelsohn 

Rozita Mesbah and 

David Sadeghpour 

Sandra and Ken Moffet 

Jay Moore 

Patti and Mike Morgan 

Terrylin G. Neale 

Evelyn and Roy Nolen 

Ann and Eddie Norwood 

Sara Beth and Dexter Peacock 

Janis and Andy Priest 

Carolyn and Jimmy Robertson 

Courtney and Christopher Sarofim 

Mary Eliza and Park Shaper 

Amy and Peter Shaper 

Hinda and Barry Simon 

Barbara and Louis Sklar 

Sara Dodd-Spickelmier and 

Keith Spickelmier 

Doreen Stoller and Dan Piette 

Diane and Harry Stout 

Becca Cason Thrash and 

John Thrash 

Kelley and Harper Trammell 

Keith Watson Wade 

Jennifer and L. Burke Windham III 

Ann and Mathew Wolf 

Sallie and Bob Wright 

$500-$999 

Sue and Paul Bell 

Maria and Neil Bush 

Jo A. Casady 

Jackson Chang 

Kathryn and William Coats 

Anne N. Edwards – In honor of 


Helen Winkler Fosdick 

Harriet and Joe Foster 

Martha and Donald Freedman 

Amy and Bo Huggins 

Winifred and Mavis Kelsey 

Elizabeth and Albert Kidd 


Trey Lipsitz 

Wade Mayberry 

Tricia and George Moody, Jr. 

Laurie and Reed Morian 

Fan and Peter Morris 

D. Patricia Nelson, Ph.D. 

Kenneth Newberry 

Judy Oudt 

Charles Perlitz 

Melissa and Douglas Schnitzer 

Paulina Sergot and 

Theodore Shybut 

Evelyn and Kevin Shanley 

Cassie B. Stinson 

Taub Foundation 

Texas Lacrosse Expo 

TPRB Advertising 

Beth and Joe Weikerth 

Marion and Ben Wilcox 

Robin and John Wombwell 

Lorraine and Ed Wulfe 

$100-$499 

Annie Amante 

Anonymous 

Madeleine and Michael Appel 

Adele and Lan Bentsen 

Kathryn and David Berg 

Rosanna and Myron Blalock 

Cathryn and Paul Chapman 

Anne Coats 

Gayle and Mike DeGeurin 

Jill and Brad Deutser 

Nancy and Jack Dinerstein 

Clare A. Glassell 

Stacy and Steven Graubart 

Elizabeth and Rogers Herndon 

Kara and Aaron Howes 

Kathy and Karl Kilian 

George Lancaster 

Bedelle Langdale 

John McLaughlin 

Suzette and Walter Negley 

Valerie Palmquist 

Dorry and Carroll Shaddock 

Margaret and Louis Skidmore 

Josephine and Richard Smith 

Gabrielle and Heinrich Taegtmeyer 

Susan and Gene Vaughan – 

In honor of Johnny Steele 

Amy and Joseph T. Walsh III 

Randa and K. C. Weiner 

Diane and Tom Wilson 

In-Kind Gifts 

Continental Airlines, Inc. 

Cal-A-Vie Health Spa 

City Kitchen 

Johnathan Andrew Sage, Inc. 

Ruth Gay, Chateau Domingue 

Whole Foods Market 

TPRB Advertising 

Reforestation Gifts 

Grove of Trees ($500) 

Candice and Lonnie Schiller 

Plant a Tree ($150) 

Jennifer and Lance Gilliam 

7

8 

Before 

PARKSIDE / FALL 2009 

Lake Plaza 

What a difference your support has made in Hermann Park. We couldn’t do it 

without you! Please come see it for yourself. 

The Mary Gibbs and 

Jesse H. Jones Greenway 

Replacing an unattractive drainage 

ditch in the main parking lot, the 

Greenway collects water from 

Lake Plaza and filters pollutants as 

it travels from the Park to the bayou. 

It also serves as a detention basin 

by holding water during heavy 

rainfall to help reduce flooding 

along the bayou. 

Before / After 

After / Before 

McGovern Promenade 

Where a shabby boardwalk and 

old railings abounded, a scenic 

promenade now takes visitors 

to the water’s edge. 

After

Before 

Scott Adams 

Kinder Station 

A worthy home for the new Hermann Park train, Kinder Station is 

the main station on Hermann Park Railroad. It welcomes visitors 

young and old to come take a ride in the Park. It is also home 

to the Conservancy Gift Shop, which sells toy trains, water 

bottles, and more. 

Pedal Boat Lagoon 

New docking stations help visitors step in and out of the pedal 

boats, while lush landscaping and a covered ticket kiosk and 

gathering area enhance the experience. 

Volunteer Center 

Thanks to a gift from The Brown Foundation, Inc., the 

Conservancy’s volunteers have a dedicated space to meet, 

get organized, and clean up after a hard day’s work 

in the Park. 



Photos by Conservancy Staff 

After (Kinder Station) 

It is hard to top the ambiance of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation 

Bridge on a summer evening. The new bridge is not only 

beautiful, but links Lake Plaza to other key attractions in the Park, 

such as the Jones Reflection Pool. 

9

10 


Join us! 

Like what you see happening around 

Hermann Park? Then help Hermann 

Park Conservancy keep up its efforts by 

becoming a member today! 

If you’re already a member, we appreciate your support and hope you’ll 

help us by encouraging others to join, or by purchasing gift memberships 

for friends, colleagues, and neighbors. 

New benefits 

www.hermannpark.org 

Thanks to exciting recent 

updates to our membership 

program, members receive 

valuable new benefits, 

including free tickets to ride 

the expanded Hermann Park 

Railroad, free pedal boat 

tickets, and a 10% discount 

at the new Conservancy Gift 

Shop. Members at the new 

Conductor’s Circle level even 

receive an unlimited train and 

pedal boat pass! 

How to join 

Membership begins at $35. 

Learn more about levels and 

benefits at the Hermann Park 

Conservancy website, where 

you may purchase your 

membership securely online. 

Visit www.hermannpark.org 

today! 

Membership (continued) 

Silver ($100-$249) 

James S. Alley, Jr. 

Jim F. Avant 

Roger I. Basu 

John Benham 

Karen V. Bentsen 

Sandra Bernhard 

Louise and Charles Berry 

Russell D. Brightwell 

Jane and Don Burney 

Marilyn and Larry Chapman, Jr. 

Eileen Cheng and Brendan Hassett 

Lisa and Pete Coppel 

Lilli and Alfred Dettwiler 

Francoise and Ed Djerejian 

Joell and Tom Doneker 

Michael Dooley 

Susan M. Edwards 

Sidney Faust 

Nanette and Jerry Finger 

Melissa and Doug Fordyce 

Alice Gates 

Claire and Joseph Greenberg 

Jeanne and Andrew Hero 

Houston Federation of Garden Clubs 

Demaris and Hank Hudspeth 

Stacy and Scott Humphries 

Kathleen and Jim Jennings 

The Keeling Family 

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Kelleher 

Betty and Jim Key 

Gwen Kunz 

Joyce and Larry Lander 

Dana Levy and Neil Kelly 

Melissa Marschall 

Cindy and David Megna 

Carol and Bob Miller 

Susan Miller 

Patrick R. Newport 

David Newton and Billy Merryman 

Eula and Levi Perry 

Margaret and Michael Pierce 

Kitty and Peter Quinn 

Geoff Russell 

Victoria and William Schull 

Laura K. Shely 

Betsy Strauch and Lonnie Hoogeboom 

Linda and Dick Sylvan 

Nancy and Peter Thompson 

Kris and Jeffrey Tinkham 

Eleanor and Richard Viebig 

Rabbi Roy A. Walter 

Brian Witt 

Linda and Richard Zoll 

Annual Fund/General Contributions 

$5,000-$9,999 

Comex Corporation 

Laurie and Scott Dorfman 

Helen and Jose Flores – In honor of 

Hank and Demaris Hudspeth 

Plumbing Systems 

Judy G. Viebig – In memory of 

Charles Grant Floyd

$1,000-$4,999 

Kathryn and David Berg – In memory 

of Erin Gregory Neale 

Alisa and Gary Porter 

Merrill and Mike Rome 

$500-$999 


$100-$499 

Beaver’s LLC 

Larry Carroll 

Daniel Elustondo 

Martha and Donald Freedman 

Dawn Gervais – In honor of Kris, Jeff, 

and Benjamin Tinkham 

Paula Hix 

Carol and Roland Miller 

Kelley and Harper Trammell – In honor 

of Jack Blanton 

Lynda and Joe Turner 

In-Kind Gifts 

Chipotle Mexican Grill 

Silver Eagle Distributors, L.P. 

George Hermann Society 

May Shelmire Duncan 

Steppie and Bob Holsclaw 

David Langworthy 

Jackie and Malcolm Mazow 

Terrilyn G. Neale 

Doreen Stoller and Dan Piette 

The George Hermann Society 

recognizes donors who have provided 

for the future of Hermann Park through 

bequests or life income gifts to 

Hermann Park Conservancy. 

The names listed above and on the 

preceding pages include donors who 

made gifts or pledges of $100 and 

above to Hermann Park Conservancy 

between March 16, 2009 and July 31, 

2009, as well as all George Hermann 

Society members. Please contact the 

Conservancy if we inadvertently have 

not included your name or if you would 

prefer to have your name recognized 

differently in future listings. 

Hermann Park Conservancy 

is grateful to all donors for 

their generosity toward the 

restoration, improvement, 

and maintenance of Hermann 

Park. Thank you! 


Coming up… 

Richard E. Wainerdi 

Bridge Dedication 

Tuesday, September 22, 2009, 

10:00 a.m. 

Bayou Parkland 

Cambridge Street at Holcombe 

Open to the public 

Volunteer Day! 

National Public 

Lands Day 

Saturday, September 26, 

2009, 9:00 a.m. 

Bayou Parkland 

Hermann Park will join over 

2,000 public lands sites across 

the country by taking part in 

the largest service initiative for 

public lands in the nation. Join 

us for this family-friendly event! 

To sign up or request more info, 

email volunteer@hermannpark.org. 

Confucius Statue 

Dedication 

Saturday, September 26, 

2009, 9:00 a.m. 

Garden Center 

Open to the public 

Little Bigs Opening 

October 2009 

The new café in Lake Plaza is 

scheduled to open this fall. Check 

www.hermannpark.org for the 

latest info on the opening. 

Fall Members’ 

Meeting 

Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 

6:30 p.m. 

Historic Golf Clubhouse 

Featured Speaker: Jim Patterson, 

principal landscape 

architect of several Centennial 

Campaign projects, including 

Lake Plaza, Lake Picnic Area, 

and the Grand Gateway 

Open to Conservancy and Urban 

Green members 

R.S.V.P. to Eliza Wright at 

ewright@hermannpark.org. 

To get more details about upcoming events go to 

www.hermannpark.org/events.html. 

Conservancy Staff 

Evening in The Park Gala, 2009 

Join us for these upcoming 

events in Hermann Park. 

Save the 

dates! 

2010 Ladies Hat 

Day Luncheon 

The Bob & Elyse Lanier 

Awards Luncheon 

Thursday, March 11, 2010 

Chair: Jana Arnoldy 

2010 Evening in 

the Park Gala 

Thursday, May 13, 2010 

Co-chairs: Anne and Noble Carl 

and Lucy and William Carl 

PWL Studio 

PWL Studio 

11

contribute today! 

board of directors 

Become a 

Conservancy 

member 

Donate to 

the Centennial 

Campaign 

Name a Park 

furnishing 

Plant a tree 

Join the 

George Hermann 

Society 

Volunteer in 

the Park 

Printed using soy-based ink 

PARKSIDE / SPRING 2009 

Chair 


Executive Committee 

Jay Baker 

William M. Coats 

Sanford W. Criner, Jr. 

Danny David 

Steve Dolman 

Ellie Francisco 

Gregg Hollenberg 

Linda C. Hunsaker 

Ann Kennedy 

Margaret L. Kripke, 

Ph.D. 

Diann L. Lewter 

Terrylin G. Neale 

James L. Robertson 

Phoebe Tudor 

Keith Watson Wade 

Board 

Natalye Appel, 

FAIA, LEED AP 

Kathryn Berg 

William G. Bowen, Jr. 

Gracie Cavnar 

Milane Duncan-Frantz 

Lainie Gordon 

Jay David Hellums 


Steppie Holsclaw 

Demetra C. Jones 

Carol Linn 

Marley Lott 

James Lykes 

Kunio Minami 

Jay Moore 

Gary K. Porter 

Chris J. Reichert 

Brian Rollins 

Michael E. Rome 

Karen Rozzell 

Donald W. Short 

Cassie B. Stinson 

Marvin Taylor 

Kimberly A. Tutcher 

John E. Walsh, Jr. 

Joe Weikerth 

Sheridan Williams 

L. Burke Windham III 

Herbert Yuan 

Ex-Officio 

Joe Turner 

Rick Dewees 

Executive Director 


Advisory Board 

Anna Pearl Barrett 

Sadie Gwin Blackburn 

Jane B. Block 

S. Allison Bond 

Russell Brightwell 

6201-A Golf Course Drive 

Houston, Texas 77030 

713-524-5876 | www.hermannpark.org 

Donna Buja 

John D. Burns 

James D. Calaway 

H. Mallory Caldwell 

Anne Carl 

Jo A. Casady 

Jackson Chang 

Kara Childress 

Davetta Daniels 

Kim Davis 

June Deadrick 

Burton Dickey 

Barbara Donovan 

Wayne Donowho 

Michael Easely 

Redick Edwards 

Lana C. Edwards, M.Ed. 

Charlene Evans, Ph.D. 

J. Kent Friedman 

Raymond C. Frierson 

Jennifer Pardoe Gilliam 

Amy Grinstein 

Terri Havens 

Molly Hubbard 

Barbara R. Hurwitz 

Richard F. Kammerer 

Susan Booth Keeton 

Christopher Lykes 

Knapp 

Otmar Kolber 

Shannon Langrand 

Elyse Lanier 

Rashena Lindsay 

Kathy Lord 

Tommy Lott 

David R. Lummis 

Ted Maa 

Jackie Wolens Mazow 

Anne C. Mendelsohn 

Kenneth A. Moffet 

Tricia Moody 

Vance Muse 

D. Patricia Nelson, Ph.D. 

H. Joe Nelson III 

Roksan Okan-Vick, AIA 

Roz Pactor 

Valerie Palmquist 

Glen Ragland 

David Robinson 

DeAndre Sam 

Lonnie Schiller 

Louis S. Sklar 

Harry L. Stille 

Tim Surratt 

Tye Taft 

Diane R. Tanking 

Heath J. Thibodeaux 

Pattie Dale Tye 

Suzanne Waller 

Susan Young 

CONSERVANCY TEAM 


Executive Director 

doreen@hermannpark.org 

LaTonya Dilworth 

Assistant Manager, Visitor Services 

Kelsey Harrod 

Development Assistant 

kharrod@hermannpark.org 

Barbara Jo Harwell 

Conservation Director 

barbara_jo@hermannpark.org 

Mike Johnson 

Project Manager 

mjohnson@hermannpark.org 

Meghan Miller 

Major Gifts Manager 

mmiller@hermannpark.org 

Sam Molina 

Volunteer and Education Coordinator 

smolina@hermannpark.org 

Stevie Morgan 

Accounting Manager 

smorgan@hermannpark.org 

Dan Quiroz 

Manager, Visitor Services 

dquiroz@hermannpark.org 

Michael Scott 

Maintenance Manager 

mscott@hermannpark.org 

Daniel Tighe 

Director, Visitor Services 

dtighe@hermannpark.org 

Eliza Wright 

Marketing Manager 

ewright@hermannpark.org 

Non-Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

PAID 

Houston, TX 

Permit No. 7445

Orient Express - Hermann Park

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