Diane and H. John Riley, Jr. have actively invested in the Houston community for over thirty years. Their contributions of talent and financial involvement have had a significant impact on Houston’s civic, social, arts and medical sectors.
John Riley is the retired chairman and CEO of Cooper Industries, Ltd., and has been associated with Cooper for more than forty years. At his retirement in 2006, the company was listed among the Fortune 500, employing 25,000 people in 100 worldwide locations.
John currently is a director of Baker Hughes, Inc.; The Allstate Corporation; Westlake Chemical Corporation; and Post Oak Bank, N.A. He also is a trustee of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and Syracuse University. His prior volunteer activities include board tenures with the Greater Houston Partnership and the Business Committee for the Arts. John is a former chairman of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association; Central Houston, Inc.; and Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, Inc., which honored him with their Gold Leadership Award, the organization’s highest level of volunteer recognition.
Diane Riley’s community involvement also is extensive. Her board participation has included the Womens Home, the Womens Fund for H.E.R., the Baylor Breast Care Center, Ronald McDonald House, Houston Grand Opera and the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts. She is a member of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Junior League; the Salvation Army; and UT Health “Partners” Nursing, among other organizations. Her board and membership involvement is defined by countless hours of notable event leadership. In 2001, Diane was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the Chron’s and Colitis Foundation of America.
Together, Diane and John have chaired the United Negro College Fund Gala; the Star of Hope luncheon; the 2002 Houston Grand Opera Concert of Arias; and the 2010 Ronald McDonald House 25th Anniversary Gala.
Diane and John celebrated their 48th anniversary this year. They share their lives with three children and seven grandchildren, enjoying time with their family at their summer home on Martha’s Vineyard.