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    Spring Fling

    Good times roll at lavish River Oaks garden party that draws the young and the established

    Shelby Hodge
    May 3, 2015 | 4:45 pm

    It was a lesson in Houston's social heirarchy as scions of the old guard as well as a sprinkling of newcomers to the social ranks mixed with those of well-established credentials at the annual Rienzi spring party. Reckling, McConn, Liedtke, Bookout and Masterson were among the surnames of note.

    Rienzi has long been the provenance of the city's most respected families. And the recent gathering of notables raised more than $151,000 for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston's house museum for European decorative arts.

    Joy and Edward Randall chaired the evening that followed a "Laissez les bons temps rouler" theme.

    And that New Orleans mindset provided inspiration for A Fare Extraordinaire which served a menu of taste sensations that included seafood gumbo, boudin balls, fried oysters, crawfish etouffee, red beans and rice and more. Add Bananas Foster bread pudding, bourbon pecan balls and miniature beignets. No late-night stops at Whataburger required.

    The Zydeco Dots kept toes tapping as guests mingled outdoors on the terrace and around the pool while sipping on Bayou Breezes and Sazerac Cocktails.

    Grand underwriters contributing to the evening's success were Laura and Tom Bacon, Diane Lokey Farb, Eliza Lovett Randall, Roy and Edward Randall, Isla and Tommy Reckling and Barbara W. Winston.

    The party crowd included Gary Tinterow and Christopher Gardner, Eliza Lovett Randall, Mary Eliza and Park Shaper, Angie and John Reckling, Cliffe Reckling and Annie Amante, Debbie and John Daugherty, Molly and Ken Delery, Fran Fauntleroy, Isla and Joseph Jornayvaz and Matt LeBlanc.

    Luke McConn, left, with Rosslyn and Marshall Crawford.

    News, Shelby, Rienzi Spring Party, April 2015, Luke McConn, Rosslyn and Marshall Crawford
    Photo by Jenny Antill
    Luke McConn, left, with Rosslyn and Marshall Crawford.
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    Pathways to Progress

    From celebration to succession, Houston Parks Board luncheon looks ahead

    Joel Luks
    Nov 3, 2025 | 1:30 pm
    Houston Parks Board luncheon 2025
    Photo by Jenny Antill, courtesy of Houston Parks Board
    City Council Member Julian Ramirez, Nancy Kinder, Guy Hagstette, and Commissioner Rodney Ellis.

    More than 400 park enthusiasts gathered under the tented Avenida de las Americas Plaza for the Houston Parks Board’s 2025 Annual Luncheon, Pathways to Progress, celebrating the city’s ever-growing greenspace network.

    Houston Parks Board luncheon 2025

    Photo by Jenny Antill, courtesy of Houston Parks Board

    City Council Member Julian Ramirez, Nancy Kinder, Guy Hagstette, and Commissioner Rodney Ellis.

    The afternoon opened with warm remarks from co-chair Ann Lents, who, along with fellow chairs David Heaney, Brittany and Ryan Jewett, and Dwan and Anthony Thomas, thanked attendees for their ongoing support of Houston’s parks and trails. Lents emphasized that progress is only possible through collective stewardship—a theme that carried through the day.

    Houston Mayor John Whitmire echoed that spirit, applauding the city’s ability to come together for community improvement. He surprised guests when he proclaimed October 14 as Beth White Day in recognition of Beth White’s transformative leadership as Houston Parks Board president and CEO.

    Board chair Dr. Cullen Geiselman Muse followed with a tribute to White, complete with a video presentation and a commemorative scarf featuring art curated for the occasion. Geiselman Muse revealed White’s successor: Justin Schultz, currently HPB’s chief program officer, who will assume the top role in January.

    Over a lunch catered by Levy Restaurants, guests heard updates on HPB’s major initiatives, including Let’s Play Houston, the Hill at Sims and MacGregor Park projects, and Bayou Greenways.

    The annual Parkside Chat paired White with Catherine Nagel, executive director of City Parks Alliance, for a conversation on public-private partnerships and Houston’s leadership in park development. Guests departed with HPB swag and admired the display of native trees, shrubs, and forbs cultivated from HPB’s own nursery.

    The luncheon raised a record-breaking $790,000.

    On the Avenida were Nancy Kinder, Beth Robertson, Guy Hagstette, Michael Heckman, Susie and Joe Dilg, Susan Christian, Council Member Joaquin Martinez, Council Member Sallie Alcorn, Kathryn Lott, Chris Ballard, Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Bee Dickson, Nan McRaven, Jill and Dunham Jewett, Paula Gilmer DesRoches, Reggie DesRoches, George DeMontrond, and Kathy and George Britton.

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