Development Board Ends Another Stellar Year of Community Service

Eleven leaders of Houston’s business and philanthropic communities joined the prestigious ranks of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Development Board during the 2004-05 fiscal year to help steer the university’s fund-raising initiatives. These new board members will continue their three-year term as the board begins its 29th year.

Brad Howell, left, outgoing chairman of the UT Health Science Center at Houston Development Board, congratulates David Grimes, newly appointed vice chairman, at the May Development Board meeting at River Oaks Country Club. Photo by Jacqueline Preston

Development Board Chair Brad Howell completed his term of service in May, and Vice Chair Phil Conway assumed leadership of the Development Board for the 2005-06 fiscal year.

In addition, board member David Grimes was named incoming vice chair. He will assume leadership in the fall of 2006. Grimes is principal of family- owned Grimes Energy Company, an oil and gas exploration firm.

“Our mission is advanced by our Development Board, and we are grateful for their commitment, particularly to our New Frontiers Campaign,” said James T. Willerson, M.D., president of UT Health Science Center at Houston. “All of the members make a difference for the university, its students and ultimately the community as advocates for research, education and service.”

J. D. Bucky Allshouse is the named partner of the J. D. Bucky Allshouse law firm. He is a life fellow of the Houston Bar Foundation and is a recipient of the Dave Gibson Award from the Gulf Coast Family Law Specialists Association. He is a graduate of Rice University and earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law. He was inducted into the Rice University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990 and currently serves on the Board of Trustees at Rice.

Lan Bentsen is co-founder and partner of Frontera Resources Corporation. He has served on several boards, including the Children’s Defense Fund and March of Dimes. He is the son of former Secretary of Treasury Lloyd Bentsen and is an alumnus of UT Austin.

Rogers L. Crain is vice president of R. Lacy Inc., an oil and gas exploration and production company, and a vice president of the Crain Foundation. He is a member of the UT System Chancellor’s Council and holds a law degree from UT School of Law.

Evelyn Griffin is president of the William and Evelyn Griffin Foundation, which supports education and animal protection organizations. She is the major shareholder of EN-FAB Inc. a subsidiary of Daniel Industries, a company led by her late husband, William A. Griffin.

Calvin Guidry is a graduate of UT Austin and was vice president and general manager for enterprise systems management at BMC Software Inc. He is a fellow of the Center for Houston’s Future and a director for Target Hunger.

Richard Keeton is a partner in the law firm of Nickens, Keeton, Lawless, Farrell & Flack. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from UT Austin. A member of the Texas Cowboys Alumni Association, Keeton is the brother of Carole Keeton Strayhorn, Texas’ first female comptroller, and son of the late Page Keeton, long-time dean of UT School of Law.

Barry Margolis is a managing shareholder of Margolis, Phipps & Wright, P.C., Certified Public Accountants. He has been and is an active member of several boards and family foundations, including the Greater Houston Partnership, Holocaust Museum Houston, Harry Ransom Center and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business and law degree from UT Austin.

Ginni Mithoff is president of the Richard Warren Mithoff Family Charitable Foundation. An arts patron and staunch advocate for children, she and her husband, attorney Richard W. Mithoff, received the Ben Taub Humanitarian Award from the Harris County Hospital District for their support of children’s health care in 2002.

The Honorable Arthur Schechter is a partner in the Miami-based law firm of Greenberg Traurig. A UT Austin alumnus, he was president and founder of Schechter & Marshall law firm. A former U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas appointed by President Bill Clinton, he is former chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) and led the agency during the building of METRORail. He is currently chairman of Houston Mayor Bill White’s International Travelers Task Force, which now includes in its work assistance for foreign scholars, professionals and potential patients.

Terry Shaikh is president of Edinburgh Management and Tantallon LLC, companies specializing in hospitality management and development, and owner of several hotels in the Southeast United States. He is also president of the Al-Shifa Foundation of North America, a charitable organization dedicated to providing health care to the Third World. Since 2003, Shaikh has served on the board of directors for the Memorial Hermann Foundation and as a member of the chairman’s advisory board of the Republican National Committee. He holds an undergraduate degree in economics and completed his studies in hotel administration from University of Wisconsin.

Walter J. Smith is managing partner of Baker Botts law firm. He is active on several other boards, including Greater Houston Partnership, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts and Central Houston. He earned law degrees from Creighton University and Harvard Law School.

By Jacqueline Preston, Development