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August 2026 | Summer Edition

Lily Portales, President

Making Waves Together

What a summer it has been for EWI of Houston! As I look back over the past few months, I keep coming back to one word: impact. We have served our community, invested in education, strengthened connections, celebrated our members, and continued creating opportunities for professional and personal growth. In so many ways, I have watched our theme, Waves of Wisdom, Currents of Change, come to life because of our wonderful members and firms.

One of the things I have learned this year is that impact doesn't always come from one big moment. Much like a ripple in the water, it starts small and continues outward. A member volunteers. Someone shares an idea. A firm provides its support. A new connection is made. A student receives an opportunity. Before long, those individual actions have created something much larger than any one of us could have accomplished alone.

We saw that through our community work and Reading Rally, where our members once again invested their time and energy in Houston students. We saw it through the connections and visibility created at Constellation Field. And we certainly saw it at Scholarship Night, when we had the privilege of celebrating 17 scholarship recipients and awarding more than $53,000 in scholarships. Those are the moments that remind me why the work we do matters.

This summer also gave us an opportunity to celebrate the leadership within our own membership. I am incredibly proud of Cindy Baker on her appointment to the EWI Corporate Board. Cindy has given so much of herself to EWI, and it is wonderful to see her leadership and experience now making an impact at the corporate level.

We also celebrated Barbara Stokes as the recipient of the Past Presidents Award. Barbara's commitment to EWI and continued service to our chapter are wonderful examples of the lasting impact one member can have. Congratulations, Cindy and Barbara. We are proud to have you representing EWI of Houston.

And there have been plenty of opportunities simply to enjoy being together, from Bingo Night and our summer activities to Texoma and the many conversations, laughs, and connections in between. Those moments matter too. An organization isn't built only in boardrooms and meetings. It is built through relationships.

As summer begins to wind down and backpacks, school supplies, and busy fall calendars start appearing again, we are entering the final stretch of our chapter year. But we aren't finished yet.

August gives us another opportunity to come together, welcome new members, reconnect after the summer, continue serving our community, and prepare for what lies ahead. Then, in September, we'll take time to celebrate this year's accomplishments and begin preparing for the next chapter under Elisa Garcia's leadership.

For now, I hope you'll take a few minutes to enjoy this Summer Edition of the EWI of Houston Chapter Connect. You may notice it looks a little different. We've refreshed the format to focus less on what happened month by month and more on the stories, people, and impact behind what we do.

Look through the photographs. Read the stories. Celebrate our scholarship recipients, our members, and the many ways EWI of Houston has made an impact this summer. And most importantly, I hope you recognize yourself somewhere in these pages because every person who showed up, volunteered, contributed, encouraged someone, shared an idea, or supported one of our programs helped make these stories possible.

I hope you enjoy the new format, and I would love to hear what you think. Summer may be winding down, but our current is still moving forward. We have more to accomplish, more connections to make, and a few more waves to create before this chapter year comes to a close.

Thank you for continuing to share your wisdom, embrace change, and make waves with EWI of Houston.

Scholarship Night

Date: July 14, 2026

Written by: Cristina Barron, Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

EWI of Houston gathered on July 14, 2026, at Hilcorp for an unforgettable evening honoring our EWISP and ASIST Scholarship recipients. The celebration highlighted not only academic achievement but also resilience, determination, and the power of community support.

Our guest speakers, Jillian Jopling, Sr. Vice President of Hilcorp, and Sarah Pappas with Rair Burd, shared a unified message: the path to success is rarely linear, setbacks are part of the journey, and there is no deadline on reaching your goals. Their encouragement set the tone for a night filled with pride and inspiration.

This year, 10 EWISP scholars received a total of $23,750, and 7 ASIST scholars received a total of $30,000, bringing each of them one step closer to their educational dreams. The evening featured a photo booth, printed programs showcasing student bios, and Thank You videos from each awardee that was played while they were recognized on stage.

One ASIST recipient captured the spirit of the night beautifully: “Scholarship Night was one of the most beautiful celebrations I’ve ever experienced… to be welcomed into such a warm, loving space felt incredibly special.”

Her words captured what numbers cannot: Scholarship Night was not just an awards ceremony – it is a belief that every scholar—no matter their path—deserves a chance to shine.

2026 EWISP Winners: (top row): Thisala Kalubowila; Kelsey Medrano; Patti Strawther, James J Postl; Lily Portales, Hilcorp Energy; Cristina Barron, Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty; (bottom row): Sharon Agbebaku, Ashley Cruz, Bella Pham, Alyssa Jiang, Lexi Parker, Song Song Nguyen, Bryanna Micu

2026 ASIST Winners (bottom row): Azalia Garza, Taiwo Ajiboye, Sanobar Shaikh Saiyad, Serenity Maldonado, and Leonor Heras

Guest Speaker Sarah Pappas, Rair Burd

President, Lily Portales, Hilcorp Energy

Click here for more Scholarship Night photos.

Reading Rally

May 22, 2026

Written by: Patti McLean, Daikin

One of our chapter's most anticipated annual traditions, the Reading Rally, was held at Durham Elementary on Friday, May 22. Thanks to the incredible support of our volunteers and partners, we were able to provide each of the 67 third-grade students with a drawstring book bag filled with five books and a variety of fun extras—including pencils, a magnet, a color-changing cup, stress balls, and more—to help keep them engaged in reading throughout the summer. The book selection offered something for every reader, from mystery and graphic novels to an inspiring story about a young girl exploring the world with her family.

Throughout the rally, we emphasized the importance of reading over the summer and encouraged students to return to school ready to tackle fourth grade with an enthusiastic "I Got This!" attitude. LaTonya Perez, representing The Rose, captivated students with a reading of The Mess That We Made, while Daikin's mascot, Pichon-kun, brought plenty of excitement as he shared valuable lessons about environmental stewardship and keeping our world clean.

To continue fostering a love of reading, we also presented each of the four third-grade classrooms with classroom sets of the Dog Man and Ramona Quimby series, ensuring that future third graders will have exciting books to discover as well.

Our impact extended beyond the third-grade classrooms this year. A dedicated team assembled and distributed goodie bags for the school's remaining 200+ students, ensuring that every child received something special to take home that day.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to assemble book bags, prepare goodie bags, and participated in the Reading Rally. Your generosity and enthusiasm helped make this event a memorable experience for the students and inspired a continued love of reading that will last well beyond the school year.

Cheri Ferguson, Sustaining Member; Patti Strawther, James J. Postl; Patti McLean, Daikin; Shari Schiffman, Douglas Elliman; Kay Bart, Sustaining Member; Mary Margaret Carroll, Sustaining Member; Cindy Baker, Black Haw Group; Cristina Barron, Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty; Elisa Garcia, Houston First; LaTonya Perez, The Rose; Siena Schickel, Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty; David Jones, DJ Photography

Click here for more Reading Rally photos.

Constellation Field Takeover

May 28, 2026

Written by: Victoria Maldonado, Harvest Midstream

EWI of Houston takes over Constellation Field in Sugar Land, TX.

EWI Houston proudly took the spotlight during the Sugar Land Space Cowboys' Star Wars Night at Constellation Field! Throughout the evening, members welcomed fans at our EWI booth, sharing our mission and the impact of our scholarship and literacy initiatives. Guests also received custom EWI-themed bookmarks, created to promote the joy of reading and support our literacy efforts.

A highlight of the night was an on-field interview featuring Chapter President Lily Portales, who shared EWI Houston's mission and the difference our organization makes throughout the Greater Houston community. It was a memorable evening of baseball, community, and connection, and a wonderful opportunity to introduce EWI Houston to a new audience while proudly representing our chapter.

Serenity Maldonado, ASIST Scholarship Winner, and Lily Portales, President, representing EWI of Houston in an exclusive on-field interview at Constellation Field with the Space Cowboys.

Click here for more Constellation Field Takeover photos.

Bingo Night: A Fun First Round

July 28th, 2026

Written by: Lily Portales

EWI of Houston tried something new this summer with our first Bingo Night at Mia’s Table! Members and friends gathered for bingo, prizes, food, and fellowship while supporting the Chapter Operating Fund.

Our first Bingo Night raised a little over $250 and gave us a great trial run for a new fundraising idea. We learned a few things along the way and already have ideas for making the next one even better!

Thank you to everyone who joined us, donated prizes, helped behind the scenes, and supported our first round of Bingo. We tested the waters and now we’re ready to make even bigger waves next time!

Carolyn Noack, Past President and Lisa Noack

Ginger Rampaul, GGT WORLDWISE

Lily Portales, Hilcorp Energy and Jennifer Bryant, Individual Member

TEXOMA 2026

July 30 - August 1, 2026

Written by: Carole Pitts, Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty

Texoma, the annual meeting of EWI Texas and Oklahoma chapters is always one of my favorite events of the year. Like LCAM, only on a smaller, more intimate scale, it is a chance to renew connections and make new ones, learn what successes other chapters are having and share what our Houston chapter has accomplished over the last year.

This year’s Texoma did not disappoint. Held in Corpus Christi, the “Sparkling City by the Sea,” the conference kicked off with the opportunity to attend Corpus’ chapter meeting Thursday evening. The President of Corpus, Cassy Fleming, representing American Bank, presided. We enjoyed a delicious Tex Mex dinner followed by a very informative guest speaker from the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce.

Throughout the conference, there were several panels that led discussions on membership and recruiting, “My EWI Why” and “Lead Local. Impact National. Growing Through EWI” featuring chapter representatives and board members, plus corporate board members. The audience was encouraged to interact with the panelists and we did! One panel ended with everyone in a conga line, boogieing to Do That Conga by the Miami Sound Machine!!!

Three guest speakers were also featured during the conference. The speakers both entertained and educated us on topics like building connections and momentum, taking care of ourselves, and effective communication.

Friday evening’s fun event was a cruise out into the Gulf with light bites and networking.

It was clear that everyone in the EWI of Corpus Christi chapter had worked extremely hard to ensure that Texoma was a smashing success and it was!

A big shout-out to EWI of Corpus Christi member firm, the Omni Hotel, our host for the event. Great venue with beautiful views!