Events

Blending wit, curiosity, and a love of oddball trivia, Winder’s work celebrates everything from Hippos and Corn Jerkers to Jumbos and Stormy Petrels, while still searching for that elusive Fighting Giraffe. He has also spent more than 25 years working in the petrochemical industry. Winder lives in Clute, Texas, with his wife and three children, and proudly counts himself both a Wildcat and an Aggie.

Come out and hear from our speaker this week!

From Awareness to Action: Rotary’s Role in Fort Bend County

Human trafficking is not a distant issue: it impacts communities across Fort Bend County and the greater Houston region. This update will give Rotarians a clear, practical look at what’s happening locally: how law enforcement identifies and investigates trafficking, what victim service providers need most when someone is ready for help, and why collaboration is the difference between a missed opportunity and a successful recovery.

Rotarians will hear how District 5890 is helping strengthen the response through community partnerships, survivor-informed support, and resource-building that helps both sides of the work, public safety and care. Most importantly, this talk moves beyond awareness into action. Attendees will leave with specific ways Rotary clubs can help right now: supporting survivor-centered services, building pathways to employment and housing, equipping providers with basic needs resources, and using Rotary’s influence to expand training and prevention across schools, faith spaces, and community organizations.

This is a hopeful update rooted in real work where Fort Bend is building stronger systems, and District 5890 is uniquely positioned to be a force multiplier for both law enforcement and victim service partners.

Rhonda Kuykendall, MSW, is a survivor leader, speaker, consultant, and legislative advocate. She works with the Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office and United Against Human Trafficking as the Task Force Director for the Fort Bend Anti-Trafficking Collective. Previously, she served as the Anti-Child Trafficking Consultant for Texas CASA, where she authored anti-trafficking protocols across CASA programs statewide. Rhonda serves on the Survivor Advisory Board for the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault and is a member of the Governor's Texas Human Trafficking Survivor Leader Council. She chairs the Legislative Advocacy Team on the Board of Directors for Child Advocates of Fort Bend. Rhonda received the 2023 Paul H. Chapman National Award from the Foundation for the Improvement of Justice. In 2024, she was honored with the University of Houston-Downtown’s College of Public Service Social Work Person of the Year award. She also received the 2015 U.S. Congressional Medal for her efforts in Austin to enact legislation protecting children from sexual assault.  

Background

• Longtime resident of the City of Katy since 1991.
• Graduate of Baylor University with a Bachelor of Business Administration.
• Owner of Thiele Insurance Agency for more than 35 years, with the business based in Katy for over two decades.

Public Service

Before becoming mayor, Dusty Thiele:

• Served on the Katy City Council after appointments by former mayors Don Elder and Bill Hastings.
• Served on various City of Katy boards for nearly a decade.
• Chaired the City's Convention & Tourism Bureau and helped advance projects such as the Katy Boardwalk District.

Community Involvement

Mayor Thiele is well known for his civic involvement:

• Active member of the Rotary Club of Katy and a past Rotarian of the Year.
• Church elder and community volunteer.
• Strong advocate for preserving Katy's "small-town charm" while managing growth and investing in infrastructure, drainage, and public safety. 

Mike Schofield is in his fifth term serving in the Texas House of Representatives, where he represents Katy and part of Cy-Fair and Waller in Harris County.

Previously, he served for 11 years as an advisor to Governor Rick Perry, where he advised the governor on issues ranging from property rights protection and eminent domain to election integrity to protecting Texans from frivolous lawsuits.

In the 2017 session, Mike drafted and filed the constitutional amendment to ban a state income tax in Texas, which finally passed in 2019.

Mike serves as chairman of the House Republican Caucus Policy Committee, which recommends which bills Republican legislators should support or oppose.

In the 2023 session, Mike was co-sponsor of SB 2038, which grants landowners the right to opt out of a city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. Less than a year after it was enacted, this major property rights legislation has allowed hundreds of property owners to reclaim control over how their property is developed, rather than having a city in which the land is not located and where the landowner cannot vote decide how the land will be used.

In the 2025 Second Special Session, Mike helped pass HB 192, which protects law-enforcement funding in Texas’ largest counties by requiring voter approval before budgets can be cut or redirected, ensuring sheriffs’ and constables’ offices have the resources needed to keep communities safe. By helping secure HB 192’s passage, Mike strengthened protections to ensure that local law-enforcement agencies have the resources they need and that communities remain safe.

Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones is a native Texan and proud Latina who grew up on the U.S.-Mexico border. She is the daughter of teachers, who taught her the importance of education, hard work, and serving others—values that have defined her and which she now brings to the office of County Commissioner for Precinct 4.

Upon graduating with honors from Harvard University, she began her career as an 8th and 10th-grade teacher at two of the lowest-income public schools in the country. She then attended Yale Law School, where she led the Latino Law Students’ Association's public service initiatives and provided pro-bono assistance to survivors of domestic abuse and juvenile offenders.

Commissioner Briones and her husband, Adán, live in Houston with their three daughters and worship at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church.

Lance Carter is the Executive Director of Athletics for Katy Independent School District.

His responsibilities include:

• Leading the district's athletic programs across all Katy ISD high schools and junior high schools.

• Overseeing coaches, athletic directors, budgets, facilities, scheduling, and UIL compliance.

• Serving as the 19-6A District Executive Committee (DEC) Chair. (Katy Independent School District)

Background

Before becoming Executive Director of Athletics in 2023, Carter:

• Served as Katy ISD's Assistant Athletic Director for eight years.

• Has more than 30 years of experience in education, coaching, and athletic administration.

• Was previously a successful Texas high school football coach before moving into district leadership. (Houston Chronicle)

Contact

• Office: 281-396-7781

• Email: lancewcarter@katyisd.org (Katy Independent School District)

Given your involvement with the Katy community and organizations like the Rotary Club of Katy and the Katy ISD Foundation, Lance Carter would be the appropriate contact for district-wide athletic partnerships, sponsorships, student-athlete initiatives, or community collaborations.

Dr. Kenneth “Ken” Gregorski was named Katy ISD's Superintendent of Schools on January 14, 2019.  

Under Gregorski’s leadership, the District has been recognized named the number one school district in the Houston greater area by Niche for five consecutive years, recognized by Forbes as the #1 Best Employer in the Houston Area, and has on an annual basis, earned an “A” rating from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas.

Prior to his appointment as superintendent of Katy ISD, Gregorski served as the District’s Acting Superintendent, and Deputy Superintendent.  In those roles, he oversaw departments at the core of Katy ISD’s mission to advance educational excellence and access to state of the art opportunities to the district’s 95,000+ students.  These departments include Human Resources, School Leadership and Support, and Athletics.

Gregorski studied at Ohio State University where he obtained his undergraduate degree, and at Sul Ross State University where he received his Master of School Administration. Gregorski earned his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Administration at Texas A&M University-Commerce.

Supervised the Houston Division's Child Exploitation & Human Trafficking Task Force consisting of Special Agents and Task Force Officers from multiple law enforcement and intelligence agencies throughout the Houston Area of Responsibility. Program Coordinator for all Violent Crimes Against Children investigations in the Houston Division. Investigations included multi-jurisdictional & international matters in child exploitation, human trafficking, kidnappings, child abductions, sextortion, undercover operations and human source development.

Erin Lynn Young is a care partner, advocate, and founder of the Youngtimers website, dedicated to raising awareness about Familial Alzheimer’s Disease (FAD) and supporting primary prevention research. She blends her personal experience with systemic advocacy, participating in calls with policymakers and the FDA, and sharing her journey publicly to educate others and push for change.

Personal Story and Mission

Erin is genetically destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease but is turning that risk into a mission to help others YouTube. Her YouTube channel, Before I Forget: Erin’s Story, features candid videos about:

Her family’s experience with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

The emotional and practical challenges of caregiving.

The impact of stigma and the need for open conversations about Alzheimer’s

Dr. SuEllen (Candy) Arentz is a fellowship-trained breast surgical oncologist practicing in the Katy/Houston area with Houston Methodist West Hospital.

Some highlights of her background include:

• Board-certified in General Surgery with fellowship training in Breast Surgical Oncology.

• Specializes in:

  • Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment

  • Lumpectomy and mastectomy

  • Nipple-sparing and skin-sparing mastectomy

  • Oncoplastic breast surgery

  • Treatment of benign breast disease

  • Care for patients at high risk of breast cancer. (Houston Methodist)

• She practices at the Houston Methodist Breast Surgery clinic located at 18400 Katy Freeway, Suite 570, Houston, TX 77094. (Houston Methodist)

• Dr. Arentz has spoken about the importance of multidisciplinary breast cancer care and helping patients receive advanced treatment close to home in the Katy community. (UpClose Magazine)

Commissioner Vincent Morales is a longtime Fort Bend County resident, business owner and former mayor. Since 2011, he has devoted his time in office to serving the citizens of the county he calls home. In November 2016, he was elected to Fort Bend County Commissioner’s Court for Precinct 1. He has since been re-elected for a second and third term in November 2020 & 2024.

Prior to serving as Commissioner, Morales  was the co-owner and operator of GreenScape Associates, LLC, a landscape management, design and build firm serving residential, commercial and governmental clients.  An active member of the community, Vincent has been involved as a board member for multiple non-profit organizations over the past 20 years.  A passionate advocate for animals, Vincent is the founder of Fort Bend PAWS, a 501C3 dedicated to the mission of supporting Fort Bend County Animal Services.

Vincent is married to Fort Bend County native Regina Klingle Morales, President of GreenScape Associates, LLC. They have two children, The Honorable Christopher G. Morales, County Court at Law 1 Judge, and Justin Morales, Vice President of GreenScape Associates, LLC, and two daughter-in-laws, Vanessa and Brooke Morales. They, along with their three grandchildren, Madelyn, William and Parker Morales, all live in Fort Bend.

Morales is committed to continuing his public service in his role as Commissioner, Precinct 1 with a focus on maintaining a high level of county services and infrastructure to the residents and taxpayers he represents.

 Davis Loesch is one of the longtime leaders of the Rotary Club of Katy and is best known as the founder and chairman of the Wild West Brewfest. Under his leadership, the Brewfest has become one of the premier beer festivals in North America while raising significant funds for charitable causes throughout the Katy community.

Some highlights of his community impact include:

• Founder and Chairman of Wild West Brewfest – He helped launch the festival as a Rotary fundraiser, and it has grown into an award-winning event that has generated millions of dollars for local charities, scholarships, and nonprofit organizations.
• Longtime Rotarian – David has been an active member of the Rotary Club of Katy for many years and regularly updates the club on Brewfest planning, fundraising, and community impact.
• Community Philanthropist – Through Rotary, he has supported scholarships for local students, grants to nonprofit organizations, Katy ISD fine arts programs, veterans' organizations, and numerous community service projects.
• Business Leader – Outside of Rotary, he is associated with DRL Group, a Katy-based municipal securities firm.

David is widely respected in the Katy community for combining business leadership with community service. His work through the Rotary Club of Katy and Wild West Brewfest has helped fund countless projects benefiting local schools, veterans, first responders, nonprofits, and families in need.