Roland Garcia’s Post

One of my favorite events of the State Bar of Texas Annual Meeting is attending the Texas Young Lawyers Association Past President’s Breakfast. It was great to catch up with and visit with my fellow TYLA Past President colleagues, Melody Wilkinson, Michael Ritter, Amos Mazzant, Sally Pretorius, Berry Crowley, Cori Harbour, Baili Rhodes, Bill Miller, Natalie Koehler Denbow, Jeanine Novosad, Britney E. Harrison, Laura Pratt and the Executive Director extraordinaire, Tracy Corry Brown. It is wonderful to see the great and enthusiastic leadership of the TYLA over the years, and congrats to outgoing President Laura Pratt on a successful year. The TYLA is truly the public service arm of the State Bar of Texas.

Congrats to my friend Annette Ramirez on her convincing primary win tonight for Harris County Tax Assessor Collector, and great to see so many friends at her election watch party, Lenora Sorola-Pohlman, Rose Salas, Rachel Cevallos de Gonzales, Lillie Schechter, Jose A. Medrano, Richard J. (Rick) Noriega, Melissa Noriega, Ximena G. M., Andrea Greer, Dr. Gabriela Sosa, Matthew Glass and so many more.

Another great year for the Houston Bar Association and the passing of the gavel from outgoing President and trailblazer Diana Perez Gomez to incoming President and my former colleague David Harrell. As a Past President, I always enjoy the HBA Annual Dinner and hearing about the fabulous projects during the prior year. Karen H Garcia and I had a great time seeing so many friends and distinguished judges and bar leaders, Office of Commissioner Lesley Briones, Precinct 4, Judge Michael Gomez, Justice Terry Adams, Judge Kyle Carter, Mindy Davidson, Judge Victor Treviño III, State Rep. Ana Hernandez, State Rep. Armando Walle, Debbie Walle, Rocio Guadalupe Mendoza, Stephen (Steve) Benesh, Lena Silva, Angelica Hernandez, Judge Lauren Reeder, John Meredith, Dean Michael Barry, Cindy Tisdale, Randall Sorrels, Alexandra (Alex) Farias-Sorrels, Trey Apffel, Charles Bacarisse, Benjamin Hall, Rusty Hardin, Theresa Wanat, and Honoree Judge keith ellison and so many others.

Happy Mother’s Day! Had a great Mother’s Day with super moms Karen H Garcia, Kristin Blomquist, Nancy Stire Gainey, and Lindsay Blomquist Doga, and fun hanging with the grandkids Isabelle, Stire, and James, and with Scott, Aaron Blomquist and Ross Doga.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for Harris Health System’s future $1 billion, 12-story, Level I trauma care hospital on the campus of LBJ Hospital. Was proud to join my fellow Board Members of the HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT FOUNDATION, including my daughter Kristin Blomquist, the incoming Chairman of the Board, and current Chair Theo Franklin, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CASL, AIC, LPCS, Wendy Montoya Cloonan, and other board members, as well as Mayor John Whitmire, Office of Commissioner Lesley Briones, Precinct 4, Councilman Mario Castillo, Beth Robertson, Dr. Ismaeil Porsa, Patrick H. Castillo, Olga Llamas Rodriguez, MPA, MBA, Rhonda Sepulveda, Rachel Cevallos de Gonzales, and so many other dignitaries.

A big CONGRATS to our amazing daughter, Kristin Blomquist on being elected unanimously as the incoming Chairman of the HARRIS COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT FOUNDATION! She is the first woman to ever chair this significant foundation, which has awarded over $121 million to Harris Health System and other local programs to enhance healthcare and wellness in the community. Kristin will do a great job, and now is a trailblazer in the healthcare and philanthropic industry. Karen H Garcia and I are so proud of her. Also congrats to outgoing Chairman Theo Franklin, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CASL, AIC, LPCS, Executive Director Jeff Baker and the entire board, and it was great to see Dr. Esmaeil Porsa, CEO of Harris Health. The future is bright!

I am so proud of the Hispanic Bar Association of Houston, and as a Past President was privileged to introduce Arturo Michel as recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Congrats also to Deanna Perez Gomez, recipient of the Trailblazer Award, introduced by Office of Commissioner Lesley Briones, Precinct 4 and to Justice Veronica Rivas-Molloy, recipient of the Judge of the Year Award, introduced by Justice Amparo Guerra. We heard a great keynote address from Josetta Jones, and had an amazing auctioneer, Nelson Mauricio Ocampo. Congrats to Rocio Guadalupe Mendoza, HisBA President and to the entire board on a great program. Karen H Garcia and I had a great evening at our table with Councilmember Julian Ramirez and Caroline Dozier and my fellow Greenberg Traurig, LLP colleague Ernesto Danache IV and Andrea. There were so many distinguished judges and leaders in the audience, including Lenora Sorola-Pohlman, Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, Judge Michael Gomez, Judge Cory Sepolio, Juan Garcia, Daniel Rodriguez, Sandy Guerra Thompson, Alexandra (Alex) Farias-Sorrels, Randall Sorrels, Marissa M., and so many more. #GTHouston #GTTexas #GreenbergTraurig #HisBa

A packed house at Lesley Briones for Harris County Commissioner Pct. 4 Cinco de Mayo and Mother’s Day Celebration! And it doubled as a birthday celebration for our dear friend Lenora Sorola-Pohlman. It was great to see so many dignitaries and friends, Adan D. Briones, Annette Ramirez, Judge Cory Sepolio, Judge Erika Ramirez, Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, Judge James Kovach, Justice Amparo Guerra, Justice Linda Yanez, Conchita Reyes, Reynaldo Guerra, PhD, Jose Lopez, Lauren N. Herrera, Sherra Gilbert, Alice Lee, Anne Sung, Jamaal Rashad Smith, Rick Lord, Wayne Lord, Dr. Gabriela Sosa, and so many others.

It was great to see my friend State Rep. Armando Walle at his reception with special guest Mayor John Whitmire. It was a full house, and great to see Judge Victor Trevino, State Rep. Ana Hernandez, Debbie Walle, Robert Miller, Whitney Whitmire, Lindsay Taylor Munoz, Lindsay Lanagan, and so many others.