University of Houston’s Wine Night Pumps Up $10 Million Capital Campaign: Napa Moments and a Law School Win

What: The University of Houston Law Center gala

Where: The Hilton Americas-Houston

PC Moment: Chaired by Evyette and Thomas F. A. Hetherington, partner with Edison, McDowell & Hetherington LLP, the black-tie evening followed a “Night in Napa” theme. And that meant that the ballroom was decorated in bordeaux and champagne colored linens and that the vino flowed in both white and University of Houston red for this 42nd annual UH Law gala.

Key to program were University of Houston System chancellor and president Renu Khator and Law dean Leonard M. Baynes,  both of whom addressed the $10 million capital campaign for the Law Centers’ new building.

Thanks to a robust auction chaired by Michelle Gray and DeDe Davenport and the paddles up drive and live auction directed by Collette and Stephen Mayers, the evening proceeds came to $500,000 for scholarships and various law school needs.

The UH Law Alumni Association honored outstanding faculty and alumni including Alvin Zimmerman, Professor David R. Dow, John T. Unger, Susan L. Bickley, Michele Pilibosian, gala chair Hetherington, Meredith Atwell Baker, Ken Wise, Staci Wilson, Harve Truskett, Rehan Alimohammad, Richard F. Whiteley, Richard Craig Smith and the late Dean Emeritus and Professor Raymond T. Nimmer.

Who: Bill Maynard, Dawn Nelson, Richard Craig Smith, Vince Ryan, Steve Strickland, Susannah and Jeff Brown, Pilar and Kwame Mensah, Renee Newman Knake, Tiffani Deng, Andrew Dao, Cynthia and Chad Mabry and Greg Vetter.