CHILDREN AT RISK is once again excited to host our Accolades Luncheon: The Texas Academy Awards of Child Advocacy. At this annual event, attendees will enjoy a delicious lunch as we honor and give accolades to outstanding child advocates and nonprofit organizations driving change and making life better for Texas children.
We are delighted to have Robert and Georgiana Ladd and Ben and Mary Patton as Chairs for this year’s Luncheon. Our focus is to highlight the importance of Early & K-12 education. CHILDREN AT RISK works to ensure every child and family has access to affordable high quality early education programs and strengthen an early childhood workforce that is prepared, rewarded, and supported. We conduct research to understand trends, inequities, resources, and opportunities in public education and use that research to advocate for policy change at the local, state, and federal levels.
We are thrilled to honor Dr. Ruth Simmons, a native Texan and a trail blazer in the field of education on a national level. Dr. Simmons has held numerous distinguished leadership roles in the field of education, most notably as the first African American female to lead an Ivy League institution as President of Brown University.
See below for this year’s award nominees and join us on November 3rd for the ultimate celebration!
NOMINEES
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar, Texas’ 16th Congressional District in El Paso
Leah King, United Way of Tarrant County
ABOUT OUR CHAIRS
Rob and Georgiana Ladd have been married for 45 years having met at Rice University. They both attended the University of Texas at Austin Graduate School of Business. Georgiana is a member of the University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston’s Development Board. Rob is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Rice University.
Rob is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Stellus Capital Investment Corporation (NYSE:SCM) and Managing Partner of Stellus Capital Management, a private investment firm with $3 billion of assets under management. He has previously held senior leadership positions at DE Shaw, Duke Energy, Arthur Andersen and First City Bancorporation.
Ben and Mary Patton are highly accomplished leaders in the Houston community. They are the proud parents of daughter, Violet, and much like other couples, they juggle full-time careers as well. Ben is a partner at Reed Smith and Beth is an interior designer with her own firm, Mary Patton Design.
Both Ben and Mary are philanthropists and believe in giving back to the Houston community. When not designing, Mary enjoys painting in her studio, playing tennis, practicing yoga and spending quality time with her family and friends. Ben, when not spending time with his family volunteers by serving on the Board of Directors of Dress for Success Houston and Houston Wilderness, and as an active member of the Center for Houston’s Future Business and Civic Leadership Forum.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Robert & Georgiana Ladd and Benjamin & Mary Patton
Erich Almonte, King & Spalding LLC
Hackett Family Foundation
Devika Kornbacher, Clifford Chance
Ben Patton, Reed Smith
Maya Pomroy, The Public Lead
Ruth J. Simmons
For more information, please contact Michelle Bowman at mbowman@childrenatrisk.org or 713.301.6970.