BOOTS and Bling
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St. FrAncis Episcopal Gala BOOTS and Bling. InterContinental Hotel 7:30 p.m. Cocktails, Auction, Entertainment 9:00 p.m. Welcome, Invocation, Live Auction, Appeal 11:30 p.m. Checkout *Silent Auction closes immediately after Live Auction *Big Boards begin closing thirty minutes after close of Live Auction A word from our trail bosses Howdy, and welcome to the St. Francis Boots and Bling Gala! On behalf of St. Francis Episcopal Day School’s more than 800 stu- dents and the congregation of St. Francis Episcopal Church, thank you for your support of this event and of the St. Francis community as a whole. We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to Maureen Graf, Kelli Weinzierl and their committee members—all of whom who have worked so diligently to make this a successful evening. Without the countless hours invested by our chairs, volunteers and staff, as well as the generosity of our underwriters and donors, none of this would be possible. Your participation in this year’s Gala and Auction makes a profound statement about the strength of our community’s commitment to St. Francis and the depth of your dedication to our collective mission and vision. We hope that—as you warm yourself by the campfires of fellowship and have a heapin’ helpin’ of good, clean fun—you tremendously enjoy this Gala With a Kick! 2 The Reverend Stuart A. Bates Susan B. Lair, Ph.D. 2011 Gala Sharpshooters Gala Co-Chairs Kelli Weinzierl and Maureen Graf We are thrilled to welcome you to the 2011 St. Francis Boots and Bling Gala. It is our hope that it will be a night to remember! Certainly, the experience we have had in planning the gala has been one we will always remember. From the very beginning of this ef- fort, we have been overwhelmed by the hours of hard work invested by our untiring volunteers; the incredible generosity of our under- writers and auction donors; and, clearly, the constant support of everyone within the St. Francis community. The coming together that we have witnessed to make the Boots and Bling Gala a success is a real testimony to the way we all feel about St. Francis. It is now time to get on with the evening! Whether it is work- ing hard to rope that auction item you so want, jumping on the mechanical bull, or scootin’ your boots across the dance floor, our wish is that your night is filled with smiles and friendship. Thank you for being here – it is what will make the gala special. Have fun, y’all! Maureen Graf Kelli Weinzierl Gala Chairs 3 Gala Honoree Barbara McCelvey As a child, Barbara McCelvey learned from her parents that giving was a part of life. So once she reached adulthood, it was only natural that she start looking for opportunities to give back to her com- munity. For Barbara, who holds both her family and her faith close to heart, church was an ideal place to invest her time and energies. Since she and her family—including her husband of 30 years, Pat, and their two sons—joined St. Francis Episcopal Church in 1997, she has served on the Vestry twice, spending two years as Senior Warden; taught Sunday School for high school students; and been a member of the choir. She has also twice co-chaired the St. Francis Gala, as well as chairing the Needlepoint Project for it. But her volunteering isn’t limited to the St. Francis community. She is also on the Executive Committee of the Houston Symphony’s Society Board of Trustees, and she serves on the Governing Council of The Shepherd Society at Rice University. Barbara’s passion for volunteering has continued to grow, and she says the rewards of volunteering have made her life richer and more fulfilling. “By being involved,” she says, “I have strengthened my faith and gained wonderful friends.” She has also set a shining example for her family, to whom she is grateful for their unstinting support throughout the years. 4 2011 Gala Honorees Gala Honoree Vanessa Sendukas Vanessa Sendukas has played a role in just about every fund-raising event in Houston, but it is her work for St. Francis that is nearest and dearest to her heart. “Of all the organizations I’ve been involved with, my service to St. Francis has been the most fulfilling and rewarding,” she says. “Many of my closest friendships have evolved while working on projects at the school.” In addition to her work for the St. Francis community, Vanessa applies her considerable energy and expertise to fund-raising for charities that benefit children’s causes, medical issues and the arts. Her background in marketing and advertising makes her efforts particularly effective—and her experience as a St. Francis mom, member of the school’s Board of Trustees and the church’s ECW Board, chair of the 2009 St. Francis Gala and two holiday markets, and school volunteer extraordinaire makes her the perfect choice for this evening’s co-honoree. Despite her incredible impact on both the St. Francis and Houston communities, Vanessa is most proud of her family. She and her husband, Perry, have two children, both of whom attended St. Francis—Alexa, who is a law student at Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and Zachary, who is enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin. 2011 Gala Honorees 5 ranch Managers Gala Chairs Maureen Graf Kelli Weinzierl auCtion Chairs Jenna Jackson Alison Wilhite EvEnt ProduCtion Chair Niki Smith, In Any Event auCtion administration Jennie Nevil sChool liaison Sally McGraw ChurCh liaison Leiselle Sadler 6 Gala Steering Committee ranch Hands aCquisition tEam EvEnt sEt-uP Post-Gala Week Nadine Boutros Leah Jones, Chair and appreciation Rhonda Brown Shelly Blalock Stacy Medrano, Chair Susan Gray Jessica Brazelton Stacie Chapman Sara Lou Stacie Chapman Emily Clay Brandi Maxwell Courtney Chisholm Julie Donaldson Jenny Moore Adrienne Cutter Lee Fortney Kristi Oldham Shakti Dalal Kelly Huff Angela Poujol Anice Duytschaever Kristen Johnston Natalie Reitman Nicole Eidman Betsy McKean Vanessa Sendukas Vicky Elliot Barbie Presswood Amanda Way Lee Fortney Mindy Rice Jacee Wolf Jodi Giannukos Anne Smith Holly Haire Brooke Solcher art ProjECt Lorie Herod Leigh Kins Shelley Iglesias PrE-Gala EvEnt Dayna Paull Jane Jamieson Shelley Barineau Robin Rosenberg Alissa Maples Susan Gray Andrew Montgomery Vanessa Sendukas Class ProjECts Glenda Moore Michelle Williams, Chair Leslie Newcomer studEnt sErviCE Kathryn Adkins Carol Lee Nicosia Mary Entrekin Nathalie Alaman Cindy O’Donnell Jenny Moore Leslie Cornett Kristin Owens Kelly Cubbage Kathryn Pernoud sWaG BaGs Jana Goode Sloan Debby Posso Jodi Lou Monica Grimes Mindy Rice Tiffany Wong Katy Hada Pamela Schmidt Melisa Jordan Heidi Seinsheimer tEaChEr trEasurEs Kristin Owens Lauren Suttle Christy Dull Maureen Perea Lori Watler Suzanne Stiles Debby Posso Piper Zaleski Brooke Solcher undErWritinG Deborah Stewart GradE EsCaPEs tEam Christie Vlahakos Laura Davenport Lisa Colgin Susan Magee Lis Faucher CommuniCation Shelley Masterson Mehrnaz Gill and Promotion Courtney O’Neil Becky Gottsegen Carolyn Bobo Laura Heard Anna Jones Party siGn-uPs Amy King Jamie Alford Kristin Liggett Gala Volunteers 7 our Generous Underwriters PoniesBarbara and and Pat PlatinumMcCelvey Nidhika and Pershant Mehta & Holly Toussaint Guitars and Gold Paula and Bill Cutts Maureen and John Graf Amy King The Chip Lewis Family Brandi and Keith Maxwell Kelli and John Weinzierl Michelle and Lacy Williams Spurs and Silver The Appedole, Badger, Clay, Gambini and Staartjes Families Elizabeth and Mark Brueggeman Meredith and Mark Barineau & Kelly and Bill Montgomery The Newt Barineau, Colgin, Ondarza, Medrano and Ellington Families Laura and Edward Heard & Catharine and Grant Faulconer The Hendee Family Niki Smith, In Any Event Beth and Greg Looser Vanessa and Perry Sendukas Catherine and Chris Swinbank 8 Event Underwriters our Generous Underwriters Broncos and Bronze Jamie Alford and Anthony Tarantino Elle and Clarke Anderson & Huntley and Dan Kubitza The Eric Anderson, Crosswell, Kane, Mitchell and Tellepsen Families The Arend , Blackwell, Bruckner, Jack Chandler, Griffith-Richman and Jumonville Families The Austin, Chisholm, Krhovjak and Oldham Families The Bering, Malone, Maples and Jim Turner Families The Berman, Blakley, Jones, Reilly and Shanklin Families Stephen Boutros Ltd. The Brazelton, Herod, Iglesias, Newcomer and Rieke Families The Breuer, McKean, John Roberts, Sadler, Sandvick and Talbott Families The Carlson, Paul Moore, Pannagl, Vargo and Vogelsang Families The Case, Fertitta, Gaylor, Gray and Leibman Families Clif and Debby Crabtree The Craig Chandler, Cravens, Josh Jones, Padon and Snider Families The Deyo, Gomez, Gottsegen, Light and Watler Families The Eagle, Jackson, Tim Jones and Way Families The Eyberg, Forrest Green, Chris Lewis, David Moore and Wolf Families The Herrin, Kyle, Robertson, Stephen Smith and Van Wie Families Jane and Michael Jamieson The Chip Lewis Family Sally and Jim McGraw, Looper Reed & McGraw Rishma and Akbar Mohamed Julianna and Scott Moorad Natalie and David Reitman & Kate and Chris Pernoud Laura and Richard Robert Shipley Do-Nuts Krista and Todd Sinex Kelly and Jeff Thibault Alison and Randy Wilhite Event Underwriters 9 Gala roundup Welcome Program......................................................................1 Letter from Susie & Stuart, A Word From Our Trail Bosses.........2 Letter from Chairs, 2011 Gala Sharpshooters.............................3 Gala Honorees...........................................................................4 Gala Steering Committee, Ranch Managers...............................6 Gala Volunteers, Ranch Hands...................................................7