By Tammy Dowe
Tune In to Channel Your Inner Latina
Latina Voices, the locally produced, nationally recognized PBS television program, held a lunch fiesta for business and philanthropic leaders at Tony’s this week. Show hosts and producers, Minerva Perez, Patricia Gras, and Sofia Adrogue wowed the crowd with a presentation and program demo that featured artists, sports heroes, and academia that the power-trio has interviewed during past episodes.
The Latina Voices virtual red carpet rolled from the valet stand directly into the Wine Celler at Tony’s where guests like Xerox veep Rogelio Marroquin held court with a bevy of brainy beauties, including Continental Airlines’ Chriselda Barrientes, the W Group’s Mayte Sera Weitzman and Fiesta Mart’s Corporate Relations head, Juanita Elizondo.
Across the room, PBS station manager Jack Neal, chatted it up with Meredith Iler, Silver Eagle’s Roxann Neumann, Donna Vallone and Carliss Chatman. The group dined divinely on a menu of Sopa Tomate, Snapper, and Praline Cheesecake that was so delish, one guest ate two slices.
Tootsies Role
Dana Kervin, Suzan Deison, and title insurance pro Mary Ann Reynolds joined Sonia Perez and other leading ladies at Tootsie’s last week as the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber announced its 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees. Honorees include Margaret Alkek Williams, Zarine Boyce, Rose Cullen, Diedra Fontaine, Linda Lorelle, Gracie Saenz, Lyda Ann Thomas, Vu Thanh Thuy, Ileana Treviño, Martha Turner and Maxine Williams. Each will be honored in November at a gala chaired by public relations darling Ellie Francisco and Susan Krohn. Others on the scene that evening—Momentum Audi honcho, Jared Lang, alongside green energy guru turned handbag designer, Beth Younger, and Amy Schwab Lampi.
Flick Funding
Texas Film Commission Director Bob Hudgins held court downtown when he keynoted at the Business of the Arts luncheon, hosted jointly by The Houston Arts Alliance and the Greater Houston Partnership. Hudgins and Partnership CEO, Jeff Moseley, lit the funding fire for Houston cinematic artists, and announced newly available state funds for local film, web and TV projects.
The artful crowd included Houston Film Commission’s executive director Rick Ferguson, HAA’s Fabene Welch and Jonathon Glus, and Richard Lapin from the mayor’s top deck. Also spotted buzzing about film were Franci Crane, art-lover Lauren Harrison, Ryland Holmes Peveto, and Richard Graber.