Events

Please Join The Rotary Club of Houston with installing officer PDG Sunny Sharma as we celebrate the installation of our 2026-27 Officers and out 2026-2029 new directors

President Tom Vann

President Elect Mike Winckler

Secretary Kate Gabriele

Treasurer Shahla Mohammad-Hosseini

Sgt at Arms Martin Cominski

Treasurer Elect Jay Wilson

Directors

Paul Bonner

Connor Grill

Rosa Tang

Join RCoH for the the Installation Dinner for our 2026-27 District 5890 Governor, Camille Hamilton.

As we begin a new Rotary Year, join us to hear plans, meet members, voice your opinions, and learn some new secrets about navigating the world of Rotary.

We look forward to hearing the annual Kinder Houston Area Survey - The economy, the environment, and the Importance of Social Connection. Our speaker will present the 45th edition of the survey with a new component and several surprises. The data should interest anyone who lives or works in Houston and surrounding areas, wonders how Houstonians are doing in a changing economy, and those who have following this survey for so many years.

Ruth N. Lopez Turley, Director, Kinder Institute

Professor Turley is the director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. Prior to her current right, she directed the institute's Houston Education Research Consortium during which time she raised over $30 million so school districts would not have to pay for research. She also founded the National Network of Education Research-Practice Partnerships, which connects and supports over 70 partnerships between research institutions and education agencies throughout the country. She served on the National Board for Education Sciences which advised and approved priorities for the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education.

Flooding has certainly impacted Houston and understanding the Harris County flood maps and the current risks impact us all whether it is our homes, offices, commuting, or general stress level when we hear the severe weather reports. Hear directly from the executive director of Harris County Flood Control District.

The New Map of Flood Danger

Dr. Christina “Tina” Petersen, Ph.D., P.E.,

Executive Director,

Harris County Flood Control District

Dr. Christina “Tina” Petersen, Ph.D., P.E., is the Executive Director for the Harris County Flood Control

District in Harris County, Texas, serving the greater Houston region. She has served in this role since

January 2022, when she was unanimously appointed to the position by Harris County Commissioners

Court.

Under Dr. Petersen’s direction, the Flood Control District carries out its mission to plan, implement and

maintain projects that reduce the risk of flooding, ultimately improving the quality of life for Harris County

residents.

Dr. Petersen also represents Harris County on the board of directors for the Gulf Coast Protection District,

the Texas Water Conservation Association, as well as the executive committees of the National

Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies and the San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning

Group.

For those of you who heard our speaker previously, you know how engaging and knowledgeable he is about the world of AI. His presentation is new and reflects current highlights and cautions. What an educational treat!!

Dr. Vincent R. Solis, President of Brazosport College

Dr. Vincent R. Solis is a life-long educator with almost three decades of service in higher education.  He previously served as the President for Western Nevada College located in the state capital of Nevada.  More than half of the years he has in higher education have been in senior or executive roles.  He has served as Chief Academic Officer, Chief Enrollment Officer, and Chief Student Success Officer.  During his tenures in various roles, Dr. Solis has had the privilege of providing leadership for many other essential campus operations such as community outreach services, athletics, dual enrollment initiatives, auxiliary business services, special projects, construction, facilities management, and student success/engagement/graduation programs. 

Dr. Solis began his post-secondary education at Chemeketa Community College and later transitioned to Texas A&M-Kingsville where he received his Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Sociology (graduated with honors), his Master of Science in Psychology, and his Doctorate in Bilingual Education.

The units he has helped lead over the last three decades have received numerous achievement awards that include the Commitment to Excellence Award, the Innovation Award in Student Success, and the Team Effort Award.  Dr. Solis is a recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award, and in 2014 he was selected to participate in and successfully completed the State of Texas Governors Executive Development Program (Class XXXIII).  At that time, he was only one of a handful of community college representatives to complete this prestigious leadership development program in the State of Texas.  Dr. Solis also served as co-chair when working with the Foundations of Excellence Institute which was a campus wide student success program.  Dr. Solis was selected to participate as one of 30 chief academic officers from across the country in the Digital Fellows Program sponsored by the Association of Chief Academic Officers.        

Dr. Solis is not only committed to his professional endeavors in higher education, he has also served his local communities in various service roles including the serving as Vice President and later President of the Community Boxing Club of Brownsville, Vice President of the Police Athletic League of Brownsville, volunteer instructor for Sexual Assault Prevention, Chair of the United Way State Employee Campaign, and has served as proud member of Rotary International where he was has received the distinctions of having been awarded the Paul Harris award, selected as Rotarian of the month twice, and was selected as the 2016 Ignite Member of the Year for his work in outreach for Rotary.  He also serves as a mentor in with the Big Brother/Sister organization in Reno, Nevada.  He also enjoys teaching and serves a volunteer adjunct psychology instructor for the Latino Leadership Academic at Western Nevada College.   

Dr. Solis frequently has roles as keynote speakers for various events.  Some of these include the Department of Education on the Impact of Executive Leadership on Student Success.  He also served as the keynote speaker for South Texas Hispanic Male Leadership Summit, guest speaker for the 2016 regional Rotary Conference, and keynote speaker on Student Services for Latino Millennial Students with the National Community College Hispanic Council.  He has also served as a keynote speaker and pod cast presenter for Workforce Solutions of South Texas. 

Dr. Solis has also been honored to share his own experiences and educational journey with many different audiences.  As the youngest of eleven children of migrant workers and a high school dropout, Dr. Solis shares his story of the transformative power that education can have on an individual.  He has been privileged to share his story and experience with different audiences that include the 2019 Graduating class of Great Basin College, TEDx Carson City, and for Regional Adult Educators in Las Vegas, and most recently was able to share his story with incoming freshman students at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.