Speakers

val@hisgracefoundation.org     284-620-4511

Sharing the mission of His Grace Foundation. HGF has provided physical, emotional and financial support through a number of services to the patients and families of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at Texas Children's Hospital for over twenty-two years.  We serve approximately 200 families on an annual basis.

Val Anderson has served as the Executive Director of His Grace Foundation since 2004. She has been involved with HGF since its inception, working on the grassroots level to help the organization take flight as the best friend and supporter of Erin Kiltz, HGF Founder. Val’s administrative, fundraising and people skills expanded HGF to double its program services in her first ten years as Executive Director. A former office manager in commercial mortgage banking, Val has also served and led women’s ministry for over 25 years. She and her husband, Buck, live in College Station, and love their three daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.

 

The Houston Botanic Garden (HBG) is excited to announce Joy (Kaminsky) Columbus as Vice President of Horticulture. Joy will lead the effort to articulate and develop the Houston Botanic Garden’s horticultural program, build our horticulture team, and oversee plant conservation and landscape management.

Joy previously served as the director of horticulture at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois. She successfully initiated and coordinated the development of a multi-phase $35 million campus revitalization plan, Project New Leaf. The project consisted of 500 acres, and included renovations to the historic garden framework and development of new garden attractions.

Additionally, Joy has previous experience working with the New York State Office of Parks and Cleveland Botanical Garden, and served as a research assistant at Miami University of Ohio. Joy received her Master of Science in biology from John Carroll University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in botany with an environmental emphasis and a minor in horticulture.

Joy will be working with the Houston Botanic Garden’s local, state and national partnerships to build unique plant collections and create awe inspiring gardens that will delight and inspire visitors.

 

 I work for B.I.G. Love Cancer Care, a 501c 3 that meets immediate needs of pediatric cancer patients and their families at Texas Children's (all three campuses), Dell Children's Hospital and MD Anderson Cancer Center. B.I.G. stands for Brooke's Incredible Gift and the organization was started 12 years ago in memory of Brooke Phillips, who died of leukemia at Texas Children's at the age of 5. The organization was started by Brooke's parents to help meet immediate and urgent needs of families going through what they went through with childhood cancer. Last year, BIG Love served more than 100,000 patients and families through the 20 programs we provide every week of the year. In 2018, more than 86 cents on the dollar went straight back to these families. We help children and families from this community. 

 Shannan Murray

Director, Community Relations KSBJ

https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-boase-honeycutt-a7835144