Shelby About Town

Women's Home windfall, Project Row House mothers & the new Decco Cafe are thetalk of the scene

Sue and Lester Smith, left, with Trish Morille at The Women's Home luncheon.
Gracie Cavnar and chef David Grossman at the Recipe for Success kick-off.
Photo by Patrick Bertolino/Starlight Images Inc.
Stacy Swift, left, and Merele Yarborough at the Ready Women scholarship tea.
Photo by Roswitha Vogler/LastNightPics.com
Keryl Douglas, from left, Rick Lowe, Judge Clarease Rankin Yates and JacquelineKinloch at the scholarship tea.
Photo by Roswitha Vogler/LastNightPics.com
Joining the United Way kick-off at the Hobby Center were Tom Ryan, from left,campaign chair Bobby Tudor, Jim Postl and Scott McLean.

The Women's Home had no idea just how valuable it would be to have philanthropist /oilman Lester Smith as guest speaker at the partnership luncheon on Friday at The Houstonian. After his talk, Smith and his wife, Sue, gifted the non-profit with a windfall $250,000.

No surprise then that his remarks focused on his life of overcoming personal challenges and on giving back to the community. Smith's witticisms and wisdom evolved from his soon-to-be-published book, You Gotta Dance Like No One's Watching, which he co-wrote with Trish Morille.

Grateful for the Smiths' generosity, The Women's Home is renaming its luncheon series after Sue and Lester. And beginning with the series next year, a Women's Home grad will be presented the Lester and Sue Smith Whole Life Award for peer mentorship.

Applauding the Smiths for their generosity were Danielle Ellis, J'Anne Smith Rawson, Cora Sue Mach, Sidney Faust, Sue Trammel Whitfield, Judy McGee, Mary Ann McKeithan, Adele Pieper, Franelle Rogers, Diane Gendel and Carol Simmons.

Food for thought

Nothing makes a special event really special like a unique setting. So Recipe for Success' benefit kick-off at Highland Tower's fifth floor terrace on Monday night was a slam dunk from the start.

Welcoming the 200 guests, who gathered beneath the towering palm trees and ooohed and ahhhed over the skyline view was Recipe for Success founder Gracie Cavnar and Derek Darnell, vice president of Pelican Builders which developed Highland Tower.

In addition to hearing more about the Recipe for Success "Blue Plate Special Cafe Harvest Lunch & Market" on Nov. 10, supporters sampled tasty bites from four members of the non-profit's chef advisory board: Scott Castell of Brenner's Steakhouse on the Bayou, David Grossman of Branch Water Tavern, Ruffy Sulaiman of the Hilton Americas-Houston and L.J. Wiley of Yelapa Playa Mexicana. Luncheon chairs Karen and Frank Steininger were among those sampling the yummy fare.

Joining the party were Sultana Mangalji, Anne Mendelsohn, Cathy Brock, Phyllis Childress, Ed McMahon, Steph Walker, Karen Garcia, Claire Cormier Thielke, Valerie Palmquist, Lori Freese, Sylvia Forsythe, Terry Zmyslo, Edith Personette and Pelican Builders founder Robert Bland.

Helping others

Riches of the good life surrounded the women in Keva Horry's home Saturday afternoon. But the wealth of designer shoes from Neiman Marcus, Gregory's and Saks Fifth Avenue, jewelry from Valobra and Steven Lagos and other designer items served a purpose beyond satisfying a lust for luxe.

Funds raised from these auction items offered at the third annual Ready Women Inc. "Dreams Realized" scholarship tea are earmarked for educational aid for those living in the Young Mother's Residential Program at Project Row Houses.

Project Row Houses founder Rick Lowe joined the ladies in an afternoon that saluted six residents in the program including Yvette Chapman, who, thanks to a Ready Women scholarship, is enrolled in a master's program in sociology and boasts a 3.0 GPA.

Headliners on this day included Ready Women founder Jacqueline Kinloch, board members Keryl Douglas and Deidre Boone and event chairs Phyllis Williams, Merele Yarborough, Harriet Gertner and Kesa West.

Also in the mix were Judge Clarease Rankin Yates (who won a bottle of vintage champagne for wearing the best hat), Dr. Camille Cash, Dr. Janice Crowder, Karen Briscoe, Leelou Mayo, Cynthia Spooner and a host of others.

United Way under way

Get your checkbooks and pledge cards ready, the United Way of Greater Houston has launched is 2010-11 campaign and the organization is hoping to raise $74 million, approximately $500,000 more than last year.

With the persuasive and popular Bobby Tudor as campaign chair and with more than 1,200 supporters turning out at the Hobby Center for the launch, things appear to be promising.

KPRC news anchor Jerome Gray, United Way CEO Anna Babin and United Way VP of donor relations Anne Neeson were at the forefront of the program that emphasized the importance of this year's campaign considering the community's ever-growing needs.

Rockin' at the Decorative Center

Oscar Aguilar and Alex Garcia and friends had the time of their lives Friday night when the duo threw open the doors for a sneak peek at their new eatery Decco Cafe, located in Decorative Center Houston.

Almost 500 friends turned out to sample the Mexican party fare offered by chef Emilio Chacon — everything from tasty appetizers to breakfast tacos which were served at the close of the party. Such a really good time was had by all that Augilar and Garcia had to practically escort folks out of the place at 2:30 Saturday morning. Even after the DJ shut down at 2 a.m.

Among those getting the first look-see at the atrium design restaurant by Area Architecture were Debra Duncan, Priscilla Larson, Sylvia Forsythe, Terry Zmyslo, Kendra and John Broderick, Martha Lurie, Kim Moody, Ann Carl and Warner Roberts.

The eatery is set to serve breakfast and lunch with emphasis on fresh-baked goods, sandwiches, salads and desserts. It will open later this month.

Sight 'ems

A host of VIPs headhuddling over dinner at Tony's to discuss the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance Cornerstone Dinner set for Feb. 5. The group included alliance exec Ramona Davis, Nancy Ames, Danny Ward, Susan and Gene Vaughan, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and Charlotte and Larry Wahley. The Tudors and Vaughans chair the dinner . . .

A room full of notables at La Griglia including former Mayor Bob Lanier, political powerhouse Ned Holmes, Metro's government affairs director Tom Jasien, City Councilman C.O. Bradford, attorney Robert Miller, political consultant Sue Walden, University of Houston regent Nelda Blair and Jim Blair, TXU's government affairs director Gerard Torres and marketing whiz Cindy Clifford . . .

Tara Wuthrich celebrating her birthday with Veuve Cliquot and girlfriends at Tony's where they had lunch and dessert soufflés. Raising their glasses to the birthday girl were Jan Carson, Rosemary Schatzman, Kari Parsons, Joann Crassas, Julie Brown, Denise Bahr, Cathy Cagle, Vanessa Sendukas and Ellie Francisco . . .

Roger Clemens' defense attorney Rusty Hardin lunching at Damian's.

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The rich list

Houston oil tycoon is city's richest billionaire for 2026, Forbes finds

President Trump Meets With Oil And Gas Executives At The White House

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

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The richest billionaires in America have a collective worth of $8 trillion in 2026, a staggering $1.4 trillion increase since last year, says Forbes. American billionaires are so wealthy that it now takes an unprecedented $4.4 billion net worth to be considered one of the richest people in the country. And one local billionaire has regained the title as Houston's wealthiest resident.

Oil tycoon Jeffery Hildebrand, 67, now reigns as the No. 1 richest Houstonian, the 9th richest Texan, and the 88th richest person in America for 2026.

The annual Forbes 400 list is a definitive ranking of the wealthiest Americans, using interviews, financial data, and documentation provided by billionaires and their companies. In all, 43 billionaires across Texas made it on the 2026 list, and 10 are based in Houston.

Hildebrand's net worth has surged $4.7 billion since last year, bringing his current net worth to $14.7 billion. He cofounded Hilcorp, one of the largest privately owned oil and natural gas producers in the U.S., in 1990 and served as its CEO until 2018. He still serves as the chairman of the company.

Hildebrand skyrocketed past several other Houston billionaires to claim the top spot citywide: Kinder Morgan chairman Richard Kinder, Toyota mega-dealer Dan Friedkin, and hospitality honcho Tilman Fertitta.

Kinder, 81, was dubbed Houston's richest billionaire in the 2025 Forbes 400 list, whose net worth has increased from $11.1 billion to $12.9 billion in just one year. He is the 11th richest Texan and the 100th richest person in America.

Friedkin, 61, is the third-richest Houstonian and the 102nd richest American with an estimated net worth of $12.9 billion, up from $9.7 billion last year. He most notably owns Gulf States Toyota, which sold $14.5 billion worth of Toyotas in 2025, per Forbes.

The Friedkin family is also in talks to launch a new NHL team in Texas, with Houston and Austin being eyed as potential home bases, CultureMap reports. Bringing a professional hockey team to Houston would be a major boon for the city, which has been without one since the Houston Aeros folded in 2013.

Fertitta, 69, has a net worth of $12.3 billion and is the fourth richest Houstonian and the 110th richest American. Fertitta owns hospitality corporation Fertitta Entertainment and the NBA team Houston Rockets. He most recently purchased the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and plans to relocate them to Houston under the Houston Comets name in 2027. He also keeps himself busy as President Trump's ambassador to Italy.

There's also one new Houston-based billionaire making his debut on the Forbes 400: Houston Texans owner and CEO Cal McNair.

McNair, 64, took over as the principal owner of the NFL team after his late mother, Janice McNair, transferred her principal stake to him in 2024. Janice, who cofounded the Texans with her late husband Bob McNair, passed away in July 2026. She previously had an estimated net worth of $7.3 billion.

Cal McNair ranks as the 218th richest person in America with an estimated net worth of $7.7 billion.

Here's how the rest of Houston's billionaires fared on this year's list:

Houston pipeline heir Randa Duncan Williams ranks 124th with an estimated net worth of $11.7 billion. Fellow pipeline heirs Dannine Avara and Milane Frantz tie for 128th nationally. Each has an estimated net worth of $11.6 billion. Scott Duncan ties for No. 137 with an $11.3 billion estimated net worth.
Energy exploration chief exec George Bishop of The Woodlands ranks No. 380 with an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion. Last year: $4.7 billion.

Texas' richest billionaires
Walmart heiress Alice Walton, 76, who currently leads as the richest woman globally, is also the richest woman in America, the third-wealthiest person in Texas, and the richest Fort Worth resident for 2026.

Walton's net worth has grown by $12 billion since last year, bringing her current net worth to $118 billion. She is the only daughter of late Walmart cofounder Sam Walton, though she focuses her attention on other endeavors like the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine in Bentonville, Arkansas. Forbes still lists her residence as Fort Worth.

Walton is one of only 62 women billionaires on the Forbes 400 list, making up just 16 percent of the total list.

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