Robert and Donna Bruni have long considered Houston to be a great part of their lives. Dividing time between Houston, San Antonio, and Santa Fe for many years, they have been active in each community.
In Houston, Donna has been a member of the Board of Directors of Houston Grand Opera, and the Brunis have chaired Opening Night, Concert of Arias, and the Opera Ball. Donna even conducted HGO orchestra’s opening-night Star Spangled Banner twice. The Brunis support many Houston charities including events for Child Advocates, Teach for America, Recipe for Success, The Brookwood Community, CAPS, Brilliant Lecture Series, and Texas Children’s Hospital. Donna was honored by the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce at its 2011 Hall of Fame Gala and she received a commendation from the Texas Commission on the Arts for her “philanthropy, leadership, and support of the Arts in Texas.”
Donna has been a Woman of Distinction for the Crohn’s and Colitis Winter Ball and has chaired Hats in the Park for Hermann Park Conservancy. In San Antonio, she served on the boards of Cancer Center Council, the Blood and Tissue Center and was Chairman of the Board of Arts San Antonio. She is also a founding member of the board for the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market.
After graduating from St. Edwards High School in Austin, and then from Texas A&M University, Robert served in the US Army’s Counter Intelligence Division in Tokyo, Japan. He did his graduate studies at Fordham and New York City Universities. Robert came back to Texas to pursue the cattle business at his ranch in Bruni, Texas, where he instituted conservation and productive land-use programs on his ranch. The Bruni ranch also introduced various breeds of deer, antelope and fish to Texas. Robert has served on the boards of St. Mary’s University, the Ecumenical Center, the Blood and Tissue Center Foundation, Houston Grand Opera, and Santa Fe Opera.
Robert and Donna have a son, R. Joseph Bruni II, and a granddaughter.
* [Editor’s Note: Sadly, Donna passed away far too soon on December 22, 2015.]