A Seventeenth Men of Distinction Luncheon Honors Four Worthy and “Distinctive” Gentlemen

A Seventeenth Men of Distinction Luncheon Honors Four Worthy and “Distinctive” Gentlemen

For the seventeenth year, the ballroom of River Oaks Country Club was the place to be on the first Wednesday in May, as nearly 300 excited guests were on hand to celebrate the Men of Distinction Committee honor four worthy gentlemen who have made our city a better place to live and work.

J.P. Bryan (oil man and founder of The Bryan Museum in Galveston), Joe Cleary (businessman and partner at Harvey Builders), Frank Tsuru (CEO of Momentum Midstream) and Russell Ybarra (the master enchilada roller at Gringo’s Tex-Mex) were lauded and inducted into this illustrious group with the 64 previous men who have been honored, starting in 2007.  Each man gave an impassioned speech and expressed sincere gratitude for their success. Their heartfelt words expressed their love of family, faith, and friends.

With the unending support of sponsors Sonic Automotive/Porsche River Oaks, Steak 48 and Tenenbaum Jewelers and valued supporters, the event raised over $300,000 for medical research in the Texas Medical Center. The grants, unanimously chosen and distributed by Men of Distinction Steering Committee, are unrestricted and stay in Houston for the direct benefit of children’s causes at Texas Medical Center. The three grants awarded this year were given to Jamie Anastas, Ph.D. at Baylor College of Medicine, Shaine A. Morris, M.D., Tam T. Doan, M.D. M.S. and Michael A. Belfort, M.D. Ph.D. at Texas Children’s Hospital and Ramesha Papanna, M.D. at Memorial Hermann.

Members of the Steering Committee are Jonathan Ayre, Oliver Badgio, Tony Bradfield, Tracy Dieterich, Scott Evans, Tony Gracely, Danny Klaes, Stephen Lewis, Butch Mach, Steve Mach, Billy McCartney, Ed McMahon, Michael Mithoff, Cody Patel, Austin Quisenberry, Ross Robin, Scott Schwinger, Jesse Tutor and board chairman David Wuthrich.

After a short reception, attendees gathered in the ballroom, where a long wall of portraits of past honorees, taken by renowned photography studio Gittings, set the tone of the luncheon. Chairman Steve Trauber, a Rice University graduate, chose the colors of blue and gray to pay homage to his alma mater. Event vendors whose efforts in creating the chairman’s vision were Let It Fly Events, who each year constructs the stage and photo wall; EB, Inc., who finds the perfect table and chair linens; and Flowers by Nino, whose floral choices of white Luxury roses and blue hydrangeas completed the afternoon’s ambiance.

Former Channel 13 anchor Tom Koch served as emcee and welcomed Presenting Sponsor Sonic Automotive/Porsche River Oaks. Their General Manager, Rob Dale, welcomed the guests and invited them to visit their $45 million facility at Greenbriar and Southwest Freeway. After a wonderful meal, ending with the Club’s infamous Pecan Ball topped with Chocolate Sauce and four heartfelt speeches from the honorees, the Men of Distinction chalks up another year of making a “distinctive” difference in the lives of those in our community, as its efforts over these seventeen years marks over $6 million in grants to Texas Medical Center institutions! Distinctive Indeed!

In the Social Scene (not previously mentioned):  Honorable Joanne King Herring, Gina Bhatia, Tara Wuthrich, Hallie Vanderhider, Bobby Dees, Leticia Trauber, Regina Rogers, Keith and Alice Mosing, Dr. “Bud” Frazier, Molly and Jim Crownover, Richard and Ginni Mithoff, Cathy Cleary, Stephanie Tsuru, Monica Ybarra, Mary Jon Bryan, Bruce Bilger, David Pruner, John Havens, Maria Moncada Alaoui, Anne Neeson, Jim Postl, Marty Phillips, Kirk Kveton, Daniel Irion, Sidney Faust, Elsie Eckert, Karen Payne, Christine Johnson, Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman, Pam Lockard, Nino Shbeeb, Sami Shbeeb, David Chiaro, Ghada Ali