One hundred seventy-six members of the Rice Design Alliance gathered on Tuesday, May 31, for the Annual Meeting, held this year in the PDR-designed offices of Vitol inside One Grove Street, the new mixed-use building in Upper Kirby developed by Midway. Vitol’s offices, marked by a double-height trading floor, mezzanine, and provocative artwork curated by Julie Kinzelman, are located on the 11th floor. There, outgoing RDA President Laurence C. Burns, Jr., presided over the meeting.
After a catered reception, Burns first recognized longtime supporters of RDA. These included Windham Builders and Thomas PrintWorks, who have supported RDA for 25 years; and W.S. Bellows and The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, who have supported RDA for 30 years.
Then Burns introduced The Rice School of Architecture Dean Sarah Whiting, who addressed the RDA members, thanking them for their commitment to better design at a pivotal time for Houston.
Burns presented for election the new Directors on RDA’s Board:
- Andrew Albers, Vice President, The Office of James Burnett
David Calkins, Regional Managing Principal, Gensler
Stephen Fox, Lecturer, Rice School of Architecture; Fellow, Anchorage Foundation of Texas
Juliè A. Gauthier, Director, Houston Office, lauckgroup
Ben Johanneman, Vice President, Operations, McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
Mark Lund, Partner-in-Charge of Construction Industry Services, Weaver
Richard Morris, President/CEO, M Strategic Partners, Inc.
Emre Ozcan, Senior Vice President, General Manager, JE Dunn Construction Company
Kansas Sartin, Executive Vice President, McCoy-Rockford Inc.
Meredith Stuart, Director of A+D Marketing, The OFIS
Alison Weaver, Executive Director, Moody Center for the Arts, Rice University
Joseph Wilfong, Senior Associate, HOK
