Game Changer

2016 RDA Gala
November 12, 2016

Honoring Ric Campo

George R. Brown Convention Center

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More than 950 guests came together on Saturday, November 12, in Downtown Houston for an evening inside the newly renovated George R. Brown Convention Center to attend Game Changer, the 30th annual Rice Design Alliance gala. Honoring Ric Campo, CEO of Camden Property Trust and former Chair of Houston First Corporation, the gala raised more than $575,000 in underwriting support for RDA’s educational programs and publications in 2017.

Co-chaired by Minnette and Peter Boesel, Game Changer brought together professionals in the architecture, engineering, construction, and design industries, as well as artists, academics, developers, philanthropists, and others. Leadership Underwriters were Generation Park and Louisa Stude Sarofim; Underwriters were Cardno Haynes Whaley, D.E. Harvey Builders, Hines, Houston First Corporation, TDIndustries, and Walter P Moore. Steve Mechler of Balfour Beatty served as Underwriting Chair.

Guests arrived at the GRB to bid on more than 100 auction items. A featured item included “100 for 100,” a campaign in support of the publication of the 100th issue of RDA’s award-winning magazine, Cite: The Architecture + Design Review of Houston, due out in Spring 2017. The silent auction was chaired by Laurie Scott.

The environment was designed by Melanie Herz Promecene and her team at Morris Architects. Graphics were designed by Craig Minor. A short program, presided over by current RDA Board President Chris Hudson, told the story of RDA with a video production that featured comments by Rice School of Architecture Dean Sarah Whiting, RDA Board President-Elect Kristi Grizzle, Minnette Boesel, and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

Also in attendance were City Council member David Robinson; Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle and Janet Cagle; Susan and Raymond Brochstein; Jo and Jim Furr; Mikki Hebl and David Harvey; Betsy and Fred Giffin; Sarah Whiting, Dean of the Rice School of Architecture; Mari Lynn Miranda, Provost at Rice University; Guy Hagstette and Doug Lawing; Kaitlyn and Michael Scheurich; Cece and Mack Fowler; Suzie and Sanford Criner; and Charlotte and Larry Whaley.