Bill King is a life-long resident of the Houston area. He was born and raised in Kemah, later attended University of Houston where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and a law degree. Mr. King currently is of counsel to Bracewell & Giuliani, LP. His civic involvement has been extensive. In the early 1990s he returned to live in Kemah where he was elected to city council and eventually served two terms as mayor. He has served on numerous charitable and community boards including the Fire Fighters Foundation of Houston, Galveston Bay Foundation, Interfaith Ministries, Bay Area Houston Economic Partners and the HGAC Transportation Policy Council.

Jessica Colon
In her position as Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation, Colon has displayed remarkable leadership skills and her efforts have helped support the work of the Republican Party of Texas.
Before becoming Chairman, Jessica was the Assistant Secretary of the YRNF. She has also served as Communications Director of the Texas Young Republican Federation (TYRF) for two terms in 2003 and 2004 and President of Houston Young Republicans for two terms in 2004 and 2005 in which years the club was awarded TYRF Club of the Year. In 2004 and 2005, Colon received back-to-back honors as TYRF Woman of the Year.
Jessica has also been an integral force behind fundraising projects. In 2004, Colon spearheaded an organization called Project Deliver the Vote which raised $45,000 to send 72 Young Republicans to Minnesota for the 72-hour effort and execute a three-piece mail campaign that increased the vote in the 22-39-year-old demographic by 17 percent in Harris County, Texas. In 2005, she founded a group called Fix Our Future for which she raised $17,000 to execute a rally on Capitol Hill engaging hundreds of young people in support of Social Security Reform.

Mayor Bill White will speak on the state of the City of Houston.

Republican Primary Candidates for the 312th Family Judicial Court of Harris County (in ballot order)

Judge David Farr has turned down job opportunities, risked his life overseas and sacrificed time with his family because his country called him to serve. He's ranked as one of the most outstanding judges in Harris County. Judge David Farr lives by a code of honor rare in these times and he has the kind of work ethic, passion for the law and dedication that we need in the 312th Family District Court.
www.judgefarr.com/

Donna Detamore, A 30-year cancer survivor, Donna Detamore knows how to fight a tremendous battle – and win. In 29 years of practicing family law, Donna has dedicated her entire professional life to the needs of families in turmoil. She became Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization 24 years ago and continues to attend workshops and teach in the areas of family law and mediation.
www.detamore4judge.com/

Sheri Dean has been a family law attorney for fifteen years, and thus has much experience to bring this Court as your judge. She has represented mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, and children regarding all aspects of family law. She has handled hundreds of complex and simple cases regarding custody and property issues. She has been honored to participate as a visiting associate judge for Harris County Family Courts on more than one occasion. She believes it is an honor and privilege to continue to this day to accept appointments by our Family Law Judges to represent the best interests of our children.
www.sheriydean4judge.com/

Jay Guerrero works for United States Senator John Cornyn as Regional Director for Southeast Texas. He established the Southeast Texas office in January 2003 after the senator was elected. Jay manages a region of 25 counties along the Texas Gulf Coast, which stretches from Beaumont to Victoria and east of College Station to Galveston. The region encompasses six million of the senator's constituents, the large urban areas of Houston, Galveston, Beaumont and Victoria and important entities such as the Texas Medical Center, the Port of Houston and the Johnson Space Center as well as one of the world's largest concentrations of refineries.
Jay Guerrero was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where he lives with his wife Karyn.

Republican Primary Candidates for Harris County Judge (in ballot order)

Ed Emmett was unanimously appointed County Judge by Harris County Commissioners Court upon the resignation of former Judge Robert Eckels. A member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987, Emmett served East Harris County, from Kingwood to Baytown. He was chairman of the Committee on Energy, a member of the Transportation Committee, and represented the State of Texas on numerous national committees relating to energy and transportation policy.
Judge Emmett is founder of The Emmett Company, a multi-faceted international consulting and marketing firm, specializing in policies, products and services related to the transportation industry.
www.edemmett.com/

Charles Bacarisse, Prior to declaring his candidacy for county judge, Charles was serving his fourth term as the District Clerk of Harris County -- an office that is custodian of the records for 80 courts. The Southern Methodist University graduate came to the county office with a varied and extensive background in government. His resume includes a position in the White House Office of Media Relations for President Ronald Reagan and Assistant Director of the Office of Public Liaison for President George H.W. Bush.
Charles returned to Houston in 1990 to serve as Administrative Assistant to the County Judge. Charles was responsible for the county’s economic development initiatives and criminal justice matters. The most recent award recognizing his leadership is another Best Practices award from the Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation.For his efforts as District Clerk and as a contributing member of various organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Houston, Charles was named one of the Five Outstanding Young Texans of 1999 by Junior Chamber of Commerce organizations. He has also twice received the Local Government Council’s Samuel Adams Award for Outstanding Leadership in Local Government.
www.bacarisse.com/

John Faulk is a conservative Republican candidate for the Texas 18th Congressional District.
www.faulkforcongress.org

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 David Farr was appointed to the 312th District Court in November of 2007. He is ranked as on of the most outstanding judges in Harris County. Judge Farr has served in harms way overseas in Operation Enduring Freedom (Kosovo) and Operation Joint Forge (Bosnia-Herzegovina). Judge Farr will discuss his life as a soldier and military lawyer.
www.judgefarr.com/

State Representative Dwayne Bohac District 138 will speak on the accomplishments of the 80th Legislature and other issues of importance to the public.
Born and raised in Houston, Dwayne Bohac was elected in November, 2002 to represent the people of District 138 in the Texas House of Representatives. His district is generally comprised of the Bear Creek, Spring Branch, Oak Forest and Garden Oaks communities of west and northwest Houston.
Representative Bohac served as a member of the prestigious Business & Industry Committee, as well as the Vice Chairman of the Elections Committee. He has also been appointed by House Speaker Tom Craddick to serve on the Executive Committee for the Texas Office for Prevention of Developmental Disabilities, which works to minimize the economic and human losses caused by preventable developmental disabilities in Texas children.
Dwayne Bohac has been an active community leader long before he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. He was a founder of the Save Our Neighborhoods-Northwest Coalition and is a member of the White Oak Bayou Association and the Spring Branch Revitalization Association. Bohac believes that there is nothing more important than protecting our neighborhoods and our local quality of life.
A graduate of Scarborough High School, which he now has the privilege to represent, Bohac earned Bachelors Degrees in Political Science and Marketing from Texas A&M University. After graduating with honors, Bohac returned home to start the small retail business he operates today. Dwayne and his wife, Dawn, are both active members of Second Baptist Church and live in Spring Branch area of Houston. They have four children, Foster, Faith, Sterling and Reagan.
www.bohac.com

Bill Borden is a long time Republican Party activist. He has been politically involved since the early sixties and has been a member of the Harris County Republican Executive Committee since 1969. He is one of the three longest serving in Harris County. He served as a Republican Senatorial District Chairman and State Republican Committeeman for twenty-six years. Additionally, he has served in more than 100 partisan and public positions of fiduciary trust.
He has a bachelors degree from the University of Houston and has more than 2000 hours in continuing education. He has been in the real estate business his entire adult life. He earned eleven certifications, designations and licenses in related disciplines including a Real Estate Broker license and five designations or certifications in appraising including the highest recognized designation in property tax appraising. He has served on seven Appraisal Review Boards, four Planning and Zoning Commissions, three Zoning Boards of Adjustment and nine governing bodies responsible for adopting a budget and tax rate. He has prepared more than a half million appraisal models used in valuating residential property for tax purposes and has appeared as a litigation support witness in matters involving property taxes. And yet property tax issues have not been the primary thrust of his professional activity.
He is a strong property rights advocate as evidenced by his public and professional stand on eminent domain issues, zoning issues, property tax issues, land use regulatory issues and other related public policy matters. He has a record of fostering workable and politically viable solutions without the unintended consequences of some recent suggested high profile solutions like reducing "appraisal caps," in the area of property taxes.

Gary Polland, an attorney and editor of the Texas Conservative Review, spoke about the November elections. Gary is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, a fundraiser and leader who has completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, he was described as the most successful county chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his 10th year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. He has a successful law practice and is a strategic consultant.
www.texasconservativereview.com/

Judge Mark Davidson will give an analysis of the November elections, nationally and statewide. He is the 26th judge of the oldest court in Texas. Among the first 25 Judges of the 11th District Court are two veterans of the battle of San Jacinto and Texans for whom 3 Texas Counties have been named. Judge Davidson has been the judge of the 11th District Court since 1989. As a judge, he has tried over 400 jury trials and cut the backlog in the 11th District Court by 70%. 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.
www.justex.net/courts/civil/CivilCourt.aspx?crt=1

Charles Bacarisse, the District Clerk of Harris County, is going to give a speech with an historical perspective about the elections. First sworn-in as Harris County’s 16th District Clerk in January 1995, Charles has brought a business-like approach to the office that has resulted in numerous upgraded programs, improved constituent service and savings to the taxpayer.
Reflecting the progress in use of technology in his office, Charles was appointed to the TexasOnline Authority board by Gov. Rick Perry in 2002, then elevated to chairman in 2004.
His leadership was recognized with the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance’s 2004 Stewart Title Award. The award, one of the alliance’s Good Brick Awards, honored him and his office’s records team for preserving historic documents.
The Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation, which represents all 254 Texas counties, recognized him with County Best Practices Awards two consecutive years. In 2001, he was honored for the District Clerk’s Criminal Collections Program, which has collected millions of dollars in fines and fees that otherwise would not have been collected from persons convicted of misdemeanors. In 2000, he was honored for the office’s strategic planning.
www.bacarisse.com/

Paul O'Finan, a local attorney, will speak about the movement in Houston called "Protect our Citizens," which advocates eliminating the sanctuary policy for illegal aliens. Paul is a former Marine and has traveled the world during his service. He has also worked for Ford Motor Company. He went to law school, interned at the First Court of Appeals and became an attorney in 2000. He presently practices in civil litigation and in criminal defense cases.
www.protectourcitizens.com/

Judge Tim Taft, justice of the First Court of Appeals, will speak about his work in 4 areas: the Court of Appeals, as the first Vice President of the State Federation of Pachyderms, as a member of the Federalist Society, and as the founding preisdent of the Houston Chapter of the Christian Legal Society.
Born in Seattle, Judge Taft grew up in the small town of Aberdeen, and then attended Washington State University in Pullman. Graduating with a B.S. in Psychology in 1968, he got to Texas as fast as he could, coming to study the Bible for the summer of 1968. He has remained in Houston, studying the Bible, ever since, except for two years of Army service during which, for outstanding service in Viet Nam, he was awarded the Bronze Star. In 1974, The met native Houstonian Mary Lynne through their mutual interest in ballroom dancing. They were married later that year, while he was working as a misdemeanor court clerk before entering law school. He also began seven years of service in the Texas Airborne National Guard at that time. During law school at the University of Houston, Tim and Mary Lynne had two children, Tim II and Christina.
Judge Taft's legal career began at the Harris County District Attorney's Office in January, 1979. During 1½ years in the trial bureau, Tim tried 60 cases, 37 to juries. During 14½ years in the appellate division, he handled more than 950 appeals including 15 death penalties. In 1994, he was elected to the First Court of Appeals where he has served since January, 1995. He administers the intern program at the Court, and frequently supports law student activities.
www.1stcoa.courts.state.tx.us

Bill Habern, will speak about how politics influences the actions of the state parole system.
Bill Habern is one of the founding partners of Habern, O'Neill and Buckley LLP, specializing in prison and parole issues as well as general criminal law. He is a 1969 graduate of Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls and a 1972 graduate of the Texas Tech School of Law in Lubbock. In 1973 he became a public defender employed by the Texas Prison’s Public Defender Service.
In 1975, Habern started his own law firm in Huntsville. Between 1979-1981, he served as the executive director of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Project, which is the educational arm of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association (TCDLA). In 1982, Habern was appointed to serve as chairman of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyer’s Association corrections committee, he served on that committee for 22 years. During that time, he regularly appeared before Texas Legislative committees to discuss proposed legislation. His testimony in 1992 resulted in a number of changes in the Texas parole statutes.
In 1980 Habern was court appointed to represent Eroy Brown, an inmate accused of killing a Texas prison warden and a farm major. After two capital murder trials, Brown was found not guilty.
Mr. Habern has published over 20 articles dealing with parole, prison and sentencing issues. He is a regular guest speaker at Texas law schools and legal seminars.
Habern has been lead counsel in civil rights action against the Texas prisons, The Texas Parole Board, and education institutions. Some of his cases include the nationally publicized “Ultimate Hunt” case which resulted in damage awards for two inmates who were seriously injured when forced to be “dog bait” for the Texas prison chase dogs. He has also served as an expert witness or consultant on behalf of inmates in the litigation of several major state and federal cases.
Over the years Habern has represented hundreds of inmates in State and Federal parole and prison issues. He has appeared on several national T.V. programs including Oprah Winphrey, Catherine Cryer, 20-20, and Good Morning America.
www.paroletexas.com

Al Alvarez of the Passport Department of the Houston will explain the new passport rules. The Departments of State and Homeland Security require for citizens of the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda to present a passport to enter the U.S. when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere. This change in travel document requirements is the result of recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. These new travel document requirements make up the Departments' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). The plan will be implemented in two phases.
www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2006/76752.htm

William Martin, Ph.D., will discuss drug policy for religious and social conservatives. William Martin (Ph.D, Harvard, 1969), is an Emeritus Professor of Religion and Public Policy in the Department of Sociology at Rice. Since his retirement from teaching in 2005, he serves as the Chavanne Senior Fellow for Religion and Public Policy at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice. His areas of specialization include religion, criminology, and issues related to drug use and drug policy. His recent research and writing have focused in two areas: 1) religious fundamentalism and its impact in the political arena, in the U.S. and 2) issues related to drugs, with emphasis on ways to reduce harms associated with drug abuse and drug policy. He has organized and chaired a series of programs at conferences at the Baker Institute dealing with these issues.
http://bakerinstitute.org/

Lori Reingold, journalist, is a reporter for Channel 13 KTRK-TV, ABC News. She will speak about current events, including her story about victims of Sadaam Hussein. Lori recently received an Award of Merit, for the story "Children of Central America." In this series, Channel 13 arranged medical trips and traveled with Houston physicians to Nicaragua several times in order to show the doctors working, providing medical services and disseminating health information to the people. The story showed how these Nicaraguan patients' lives were changed for the better by the action of a few Houston physicians.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk

Cathie Adams of Texas Eagle Forum will speak about Governor Perry's mandated HPV vaccine program in Texas schools.
Cathie Adams has been involved in many Republican activities: an election judge, a member of the district, state and national resolutions/platform committees; and a Delegate to the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Republican National Conventions. She currently serves as president of the Texas Eagle Forum.
http://www.texaseagle.org/

Steve Radack, Harris County Commissioner, will speak about his work. He served for 11 years with the Houston Police Department and as the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable. He was first elected Commissioner of Precinct 3 in 1988 and voters have re-elected him 4 times. He has served as a member of Commissioners’ Court for 16 years. He has pushed for greater efficiency at all levels of local government. He has supported privatization throughout county government.
www.pct3.hctx.net/Radack.htm

Dave Fehling, a journalist for KHOU Channel 11 news, will speak about current events and his coverage of KBR litigation. Dave Fehling is a Special Reporter and substitute anchor who joined KHOU-TV for the second time in July 1998. He originally worked for Channel 11 as a reporter beginning in 1989. He has earned numerous awards.
www.khou.com

Dr. Karen Soehnge, the HISD Chief Academic Officer, will speak about HISD. Dr. Soehnge (pronounced SIN-jee) joined HISD from the Corpus Christi Independent School District, where she had been a Deputy Superintendent. As Chief Academic Officer, she is responsible for overseeing all of HISD’s classroom instructional efforts, including curriculum and professional development, and also serves as the Superintendent of Schools’ principal academic advisor. She is also responsible for overseeing the Department of Academic Services. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master of Educational Administration Degree, and a Bachelor of Education Degree from the University of Houston-Victoria. In Corpus Christi, she supervised the Division of Instruction and other offices, including Research, Testing, and Evaluation; Public Information; Business and Community Partnerships; and Parent Involvement.

Debate by candidates for Houston City Council At-Large, Pos. 3 Special Election (May 12th). Early Voting is April 30th - May 8th.

Roy Morales, U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel-Retired, will speak on his candidacy for City Council. He was the Chief Technology Officer at the City of Houston Emergency Center.
Roy’s work with the Air Force included joint operations with NASA and served as Operations Director for the Space Shuttle Operations Division. While assigned to the Strategic Defense Initiative Office, he led the advanced computing technology research and was recognized as one of the top Air Force engineers in 1994. As the US Strategic Command Division Chief, Roy developed a comprehensive Information Operations Defensive plan to protect over 800 NATO aircraft in support of operations in the Balkans, as well as development of a Military Communications Operation Center in support of American troops in South Korea. Roy is nationally recognized as an expert on homeland security.
http://www.roymorales.com/

Tom Nixon, attorney and former HPD officer, will speak about his candidacy for City Council. Tom graduated from UH with a degree in Business Administration. He joined the Texas National Guard and served for many years. He joined the Houston Police Department and served for 10 years. As an officer, he received many awards and commendations. During Tropical Storm Allison, he exhibited heroic efforts in helping the citizens of Harris County. He recently disagreed with HPD policy about police car chases and left HPD. He graduated from South Texas College of Law in 2004 and is presently a practicing attorney. He is a lifelong conservative.
http://www.tomnixonforcitycouncil.com/

Chris Daniel was the youngest Texas Delegate elected to go to the 2004 Republican National Convention. He is currently a Trustee for Position 2 of the North Harris Montgomery Community College System, a member of the Harris County Republican Party's Young Leadership Committee and served on the party's Candidates Committee for the 2004-2006 term.
Currently, Chris is a Civil Engineer with Grant Prideco. Chris is a 2005 graduate of the University of Texas. As a boy, Chris's father was killed by a drunk driver. In the process, Chris became close to Tom Wright, the Founder of the Fairtax Organization. Chris will share with us his personal experiences as a Young Republican along with his thoughts on the Fairtax movement as well as other relevant issues.

Mark Cole, Executive Director of Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse Houston (CALA), will speak about the organization. CALA is a public education, legal watchdog group. Its purpose is to inform the public about balance, fairness and sensibility in our civil justice system. CALA strives to educate the public and raise awareness about the cost and consequence of abuses in our legal system. It has chapters throughout Texas and 25,000 supporters statewide.
Mr. Cole is an attorney and the Vice President and General Counsel to U.S. Development Group, an industrial real estate company engaged in rail-related projects in Texas and elsewhere. He has served as a director of several non-profits and as a volunteer spokesman for Texans for Lawsuit Reform, speaking to professional and civic groups throughout Texas. He also currently serves on the Steering Committee for Let the People Vote PAC, a grass roots movement advocating fiscal responsibility for the City of Houston. He earned degrees from Baylor, Yale Divinity School, Notre Dame Law School and the University of Houston Law Center.

Nick Swyka is the District Director for U.S. Congressman John Culberson. He will speak about Congressman Culberson's legislation and projects. Nick's responsibilities are to monitor and communicate the priorities and viewpoints of District 7 voters, Houston-area elected officials and business leaders; represent Rep. Culberson locally when the congressman has duties in Washington; and convey Rep. Culberson’s stances and actions to constituents and Houston-area leaders. Prior to assuming the position of District Director, Mr. Swyka served in Rep. Culberson’s Washington office, first as a Legislative Correspondent, and later as a Legislative Assistant, focusing on the areas of Defense, Foreign Policy, and Space and Scientific Research.
Nick joined Rep. Culberson’s office after graduating with a B.S. in International Political Economy from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 2002.

Mike Stafford, Harris County Attorney, will speak about Harris County. He was elected County Attorney in 2002. Before he was elected, he was the First Assistant County Attorney for 4 years. His background includes 6 years in private practice in Houston and 10 years as the First Assistant County Attorney in Liberty County. He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and obtained his law degree from South Texas College of Law.
http://co.harris.tx.us/coatty/

John Sorrentino, Houston Astros, will speak about the history and the latest developments of the team. He has many great stories about the personalities involved. The Astros started in Houston as the Houston Colt 45s in 1962. In 1965, they became the Houston Astros. Houston has truly felt the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat in supporting this fantastic team.
http://www.houstonastros.com/

Bruce R. Hotze will speak about politics. As Chairman and CEO, Mr. Hotze is responsible for the overall operations and profitability of Compressor Engineering Corporation. Mr. Hotze has worked at CECO since its inception and has an extensive background in all operating areas including engineering, manufacturing, quality control, sales and financial management. In addition, Mr. Hotze is responsible for all acquisitions expansions and growth planning. He is active in community politics and leadership. He is a graduate of the University of Texas.
http://www.ceconet.com/

Carl A. Cadis Jr., will speak about NASA. He earned his M.S. in Technical Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master of Divinities Degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and B.S. in Education from LSU. A lifelong Space Exploration enthusiast, Carl has worked for 10 years for United Space Alliance (USA), NASA's primary Space Operations Contractor for the International Space Station and Space Shuttle. His current responsibilities involve managing 20+ Engineer Instructors tasked with training the Astronauts and Flight Operations personnel at Johnson Space Center who operate the International Space Station. Carl was awarded the "Bronze Star" in the "Desert Storm" war, has worked in over 14 countries and is a member of Encourager Church.

David Wallace, mayor of Sugar Land, will speak about politics in his district. He is presently serving his third term as Mayor. Previously, the Mayor served on the Sugar Land City Council representing Single Member District 4. He has a degree from the University of N. Texas in Bus. Admin. and Real Estate Finance. He has studied International Real Estate, Finance and Law at the University of Reading, England.
http://www.sugarlandtx.gov/city_hall/city_council/mayor.asp

Carmen Cuneo, a financial planner with RBC Dain Rauscher, will speak about the economic outlook for Houston, Texas and the country. She graduated from the University of Arkansas with a Master's Degree in Bus. Admin. She worked in the construction industry for 23 years serving as a manager for strategic alliance and joint ventures. She holds her Series 7 general securities license and is a licensed investment advisor.
Carmen.Cuneo@Rbcdain.com

Addie Wiseman, Council Member of Houston City Council, District E, will speak about city and local politics. She received a B.S. in Economics and Political Science from UH. She serves on the boards of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (Chair-Elect), the Bay Area Transportation Partnership and the Kingwood Pops Advisory Board. She has served on the boards of the Humble Council of PTAs, the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership and as co-chair for the Bay Area Metropolitan Ballet & Theatre's Dance.
http://www.houstontx.gov/council/e/index.html

Commander Gene Tulich, US Coast Guard (Retired) spent 22 years on active duty including two tours in Vietnam. Most of his career was in Drug Interdiction. At Headquarters in Washington he developed the Coast Guard's drug enforcement program, as well as the Maritime Law Enforcement School. He served as Chief of Law Enforcement and Intelligence in Southern California where he participated in the planning for the 1984 Olympics. He was subsequently the Assistant Chief of Law Enforcement for the Pacific Area followed by Chief of Intelligence for Coast Guard Pacific Area and Maritime Defense Zone Pacific. He later was assigned to the commands of the Gulf Coast Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in Houston and Operation Alliance (border interdiction) in El Paso. After retirement Gene taught political science at the University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, Houston Community College, Tomball College and Montgomery College. He is the Chairman of the Houston Military Affairs Committee and the Deputy Chairman of the Ellington Field Task Force. He is an Active Life Member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is also a recent Military State Commission Appointee by Texas Governor Rick Perry.
Gene42@flash.net

No meeting

Ed Emmett, newly appointed Harris County Judge, will speak about the state of Harris County. Ed Emmett was unanimously appointed County Judge by Harris County Commissioners Court upon the resignation of Judge Robert Eckels. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1979 to 1987, serving East Harris County, from Kingwood to Baytown. He was chairman of the Committee on Energy, a member of the Transportation Committee, and represented the State of Texas on numerous national committees relating to energy and transportation policy.
Judge Emmett is founder of The Emmett Company, a multi-faceted international consulting and marketing firm, specializing in policies, products and services related to the transportation industry.
The Judge was also president of TranSystems Advisors.
www.judgeemmett.org/

Ellen Baugh, attorney, will summarize the 2006-7 United States Supreme Court term. She has worked as a civil attorney specializing in medical and dental malpractice defense and other civil litigation. She served as an Appellate Prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney's Office. She has an LLM from the London School of Economics and a J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law. She worked as a Law Clerk for Judge McCorkle at the 133rd District Court and at the First Court of Appeals. She has spoken to Downtown Pachyderm before about "The Controversial Juvenile Death Penalty." She is going to attend George Washington University to obtain a Master's Degree in International Relations.

Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, M.D., former U.S. Representative, will speak about "The Economics of Healthcare."
She is a physician, dermatologist, and Assistant Clinical Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and has been in private practice for 22 years in Webster. With the cornerstone of her platform, Healthy Houston, she served as an at large member of the Houston City Council for 3 terms. After winning the Nov. 7 special election for Congressional District 22 she resigned - giving up her seat and her pension.
Congressmember Sekula Gibbs served only 8 weeks in the 109th Congress but represented her district well. Believing that putting Americans first helps to keep America strong, she helped block a 5% cut in Medicare funding that would have hurt seniors. She voted to open 8 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas exploration with royalties going to coastal restoration and parks, helped provide funding for seniors as an alternative to nursing home care, and passed $300 million for autism treatment and research. She continues to practice medicine in the Clear Lake area.
www.sekulagibbsforcongress.com/

Bill Borden, Republican Party Activist and retired Real Estate Consultant and Appraiser will discuss property taxes.
Bill Borden is a long time Republican Party activist. He has been politically involved since the early sixties and has been a member of the Harris County Republican Executive Committee since 1969. He is one of the three longest serving in Harris County. He served as a Republican Senatorial District Chairman and State Republican Committeeman for twenty-six years. Additionally, he has served in more than 100 partisan and public positions of fiduciary trust.
He has a bachelors degree from the University of Houston and has more than 2000 hours in continuing education. He has been in the real estate business his entire adult life. He earned eleven certifications, designations and licenses in related disciplines including a Real Estate Broker license and five designations or certifications in appraising including the highest recognized designation in property tax appraising. He has served on seven Appraisal Review Boards, four Planning and Zoning Commissions, three Zoning Boards of Adjustment and nine governing bodies responsible for adopting a budget and tax rate. He has prepared more than a half million appraisal models used in valuating residential property for tax purposes and has appeared as a litigation support witness in matters involving property taxes. And yet property tax issues have not been the primary thrust of his professional activity.
He is a strong property rights advocate as evidenced by his public and professional stand on eminent domain issues, zoning issues, property tax issues, land use regulatory issues and other related public policy matters. He has a record of fostering workable and politically viable solutions without the unintended consequences of some recent suggested high profile solutions like reducing "appraisal caps," in the area of property taxes.

Dr. Jack Christie
Texas State Board of Education, District 6, 1991-2000
Chairman of the Texas State Board of Education, appointed by Governor George W. Bush, 1995-1999
Elected 3 terms, Spring Branch Independent School District 1978-1984
President of the SPISD Board 1983-1984
Doctor of Chiropractic - maintains successful practices in Memorial and Downtown areas of Houston, treated over 18,000 patients.
Appointed by the Governor to the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, 1981-1987

Rep. Jim Murphy will give a report on the past legislative session.
Jim Murphy was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2006 to represent District 133 in west Houston.
Jim is President of District Management Services. For the past 20 years, Murphy has served as one of the principal driving forces behind the Westchase District – the 4.2 square mile business district in west Houston.
Jim served on the Houston Community College Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2006.
Murphy’s business leadership includes service as a board member of the Houston West Chamber of Commerce, West Houston Medical Center and as Past Chairman of the Association of Commercial Real Estate Professionals. Jim is also an active member of the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston Association of Realtors, the Urban Land Institute, and a Trustee of the Houston Realty Breakfast Club.
Jim is a lifelong Republican who has been active in the Party as a grassroots volunteer, candidate, and elected official.
www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist133/murphy.htm

Rob Todd comes from a military family whose Texas roots date back to the mid 1800's. Rob is Managing Partner to the Molitoris Group, a family holding company with interests in telecom and real estate development and the defense industry. He is active in the Community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Transportation Partnership, as an Associate Professor of Law at the South Texas College of Law where he teaches Legislation, and as an Ambassador to the Republican Leadership Council. He is best known in political circles for serving on the Houston City Council during the Lanier and Brown administrations where he chaired the Regulatory Affairs, Charter and Rail Committees and for longtime volunteerism and support for Republican candidates and efforts. He holds a degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas and a doctorate degree from the South Texas College of Law.
Rob will talk about trends in Houston city politics and current issues facing the city and region, including issues related to public safety, finance, and transportation.

Mike Sullivan is a candidate for Houston City Council, District E, the seat currently held by Council Member Addie Wiseman. A native Houstonian, with a long history of community involvement, Mike is intimately familiar with District E, having lived in both the Clear Lake and Kingwood areas. He pledges to bring his experience as a small business owner to Council, will fight to return more tax dollars to District E, maintain open communications with constituents, and be a conservative voice on City Council
www.mikesullivancampaign.com/

Annette Dwyer worked as a newspaper reporter and editor Employed by Harris County Department of Community and Economic Development planning and developing county construction projects including libraries, community and senior centers, parks and playgrounds, road and sewer construction and improvements, as well as economic and small business development projects.
Monitored federal grants used for homeless prevention, literacy programs, battered women’s shelters, education for at-risk youth and other programs.
Member of Council Member Addie Wiseman’s Citizen Advisory Committee for District E since 2002.
Currently serves on the boards of directors of the Association of Clear Lake Communities (ACLC) and the Northfork Community Association.
www.annettedwyer.com

Ron Brunner was born in Galveston, went to school in La Marque, Texas and has lived in Houston since 1960. He is a self-employed accountant for the last thirty years providing tax and accounting services to small businesses and individuals. He has investment adviser and stockbroker licenses. Ron has been very active in Republican politics for the last thirteen years. "I tell people that I don't hunt, fish or play golf. I do politics." Ron is currently chairman of the Harris County Republican Party Outreach committee, a member of the Vacancy committee and a precinct chairman and election judge in the Greenway Plaza area.

Dan Patrick represents District 7 in the State Senate. A native of Baltimore, Dan has been a Texan since joining Houston CBS affiliate KHOU TV in 1979. In 1988 he launched talk radio KSEV and soon after discovered a little known national host, Rush Limbaugh. His group added KPRC radio in 1992 and then sold the stations joining San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications.
Dan has made many appearances as a conservative commentator on MSNBC, The O’Reilly Factor and Hannity and Colmes as well as serving as guest host for the Laura Ingraham and Michael Reagan nationally syndicated radio shows. In 2002 Dan wrote a Christian bestseller, The Second Most Important Book You Will Ever Read. He is currently producing a Christian movie, Deep in the Heart, based on a true Texas story.
Always involved in politics, he has fought many causes on behalf of taxpayers. In 2003 he formed CLOUT, a 20,000-member group working to lower property taxes. His radio stations have been community-focused, raising over $3 million for disabled and poor children through the Be An Angel charity.
www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/senate/members/dist7/dist7.htm

Beverly Woolley, longtime Republican and community activist, is serving her sixth term in the Texas House of Representatives. Presently, Representative Woolley is the 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 Ways & Means.
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.
Representative Woolley is a native Houstonian and a cum laude graduate of the University of Houston. She has been married to Lynn Woolley for forty-six years. They have three children and four grandchildren. Representative Woolley and her husband own Houston Armature Works, Inc.
www.house.state.tx.us/members/dist136/woolley.htm

Orlando Sanchez has lived in Houston since 1962 when his father was recruited by former Harris County Judge Roy Hofheinz to be the Spanish voice of the Colt 45's and the Houston Astros. Orlando grew up in southwest Houston and graduated from Bellaire High School. In 1976, Orlando volunteered for service in the U.S. Air Force; after being honorably discharged, he again volunteered with the 147th Fighter Interceptor Group of the Texas Air National Guard at Ellington Field.
Orlando is a cum laude graduate of the University of Houston.
In 1995 Orlando was elected to serve as a member of the Houston City Council. He served three terms and helped his colleagues pass the first property tax cut in decades. Orlando also chaired the city's International Trade Committee, the Legislative Affairs Committee and chaired the Cellular Tower Working Committee. He has served on the Texas Attorney General's Municipal Advisory Committee and was apppointed to the U.S. Senate Task Force on Hispanic Affairs.
Orlando is a member of the Board of Directors of Capital Bank, a life member of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, the 100 Club of Houston and is an advisory member of the University of Houston Law School Foundation.
http://www.hctx.net/treasurer/

HCRP Chairman Jared Woodfill, a life-long resident of Harris County, knows that dedication and commitment equal achievement. Jared learned the meaning of hard work at a very young age. His mother, an instructor at San Jacinto College, taught him the importance of a solid education, and his father, an employee of NASA who helped bring the Apollo 13 crew home, instilled in him the desire to serve his community. Faith and family have always been extremely important to Jared. He and his wife, the former Celeste Ponce, attend Lakewood Church.
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and a cum laude graduate of St. Mary's University School of Law, Jared practices law in partnership with the distinguished Republican and former jurist Paul Pressler. Together they have defended conservative principles through their law practice. Jared formerly served as chairman of the Finance Committee and currently serves as chairman of the Judicial Screening Committee of the Harris County Republican Party. He serves as chairman of the Republican Leadership Council and a Special Commissioner for Harris County. He served as vice-chairman for Senate District 17's District Convention, Legal Counsel for the Harris County Republican Party and as a delegate to numerous state and senatorial conventions.
www.harriscountygop.com/Chairman.asp

Stuart Mayper will be screening the first half of the film "Truth Be Tolled", a documentary about the Trans-Texas Corridor.
www.truthbetolled.com/

Stuart Mayper will be screening the second half of the film "Truth Be Tolled", a documentary about the Trans-Texas Corridor.
www.truthbetolled.com/

Gary Polland has been a practicing attorney for more than 30 years. His practice is a mix of government relations for Texas Strategies and trial work where he is Board Certified in Civil Trial law. Gary has a distinguished record of obtaining favorable results for his clients. In addition, he served as Republican Chairman in Harris County Texas from 1996 to 2002 being overwhelmingly elected each time. As chairman, he earned national recognition for the party's success and for his Republican party building efforts in such publications as Human Events, the national conservative weekly the American Spectator, the Houston Chronicle and Inside Houston Magazine.
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.
www.texasconservativereview.com/

Greg Meyers was elected to the Houston ISD Board of Education in 2004 and elected by his peers to the position of assistant secretary in 2006 and second vice president in 2007. He presently serves as a legislative liaison for the board. In his first year of service, he was appointed to chair the Board Monitoring Committee, which developed an expanded system for district accountability that was adopted as policy in August 2005.

Michael Kubosh will be our speaker this week.
Here is a link to an article about his attempts to stop the red light cameras in Houston:
www.thenewspaper.com/news/13/1346.asp

Tina Benkiser, Republican Party of Texas Chairman is an experienced and respected leader in the areas of law, politics and volunteerism. Her election in 2003 as the second woman to chair the Republican Party of Texas marks the high point of over a decade of grassroots leadership in GOP politics. Prior to winning election as Chairman, she served three terms on the State Republican Executive Committee. During her tenure, she was appointed Chairman of the Rules Committee and was selected by her peers to serve on the Officials Committee. Benkiser also has been active as a delegate to precinct, senatorial, state and national Republican conventions for many years. Her leadership was recognized at the 2000 and 2002 state conventions when she was selected to chair the Credentials and Rules Committees.