Uptown Houston TIRZ/UDA Board of Directors

The Zone is governed by an eight-member board composed of individuals who own property within the Zone or are the employees or agents of Zone property owners.  Zone board members are appointed by the City of Houston (5), HISD (1), the State Representative for the area (1), and the State Senator for the Area (1). The Development Authority is governed by a board of directors that has the same membership as the TIRZ Board.

Martin Debrovner

Martin Debrovner served as Vice Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Weingarten Realty Investors before his recent retirement.  Prior to Weingarten, Martin was employed by the NASA organization and reported to the Manned Spacecraft Center.  While at NASA, Martin worked on the Gemini, Apollo and Orbital Laboratory missions, where his primary responsibilities included integration of the flight crews and their equipment and EVA training.

After  leaving  the  space  program,  Martin  joined J. Weingarten, Inc. as Senior  Vice  President  and  in  1984  became  Executive  Vice  President, responsible  for the company’s operations.  Beginning in 1985, he served as President of Weingarten Realty Management Company until 1993, when he was named President of Weingarten Realty Investors.  In 1997, he was named Vice Chairman, a position that he currently holds.   He holds Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Columbia University.  Martin was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors in 1999.

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Dorothy “Dot” Cunningham

Dorothy "Dot" Cunningham has been a resident of Uptown Houston for  21 years and served as President /Co-Owner of an Insurance Company for more than 20 years.  

Skilled in management, governmental affairs, lobbying, fund raising, family mediation, managing political campaigns, special events and public relations, Dot is also extensively involved in numerous charitable / educational / civic associations in Houston, Dallas and Washington.

Under the Ronald Regan Administration, Dot was appointed to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts chairing the first country music event ever to grace the stage of the National Culture Center. Today, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Be An Angel Fund, Inc., a charity improving the quality of life for children with multiple disabilities and profound deafness.  She and her husband, Walt, are international travelers visiting 125 countries in the last 18 years.

A graduate of the University of Houston with Graduate studies at the University of Houston - Clear Lake, Dot is married with two children, two step children and combined seven grandchildren. Dot was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors by Senator Dan Patrick in 2008. 

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Janice Hale-Harris

Currently Janice Hale-Harris is a senior manager for Waste Management's Healthcare division.  As the former President and CEO of KH Technologies, Inc., Janice played a key leadership role in developing the management skills and leadership traits of companies in the Houston market.  Janice also served as Senior Vice President and General Manager for the Houston office of Lee Hecht Harrison.  This role utilized her extensive experience providing the world’s leading names in business with a variety of career transition services as well as executive coaching and leadership development.  She also worked with Microsoft Corporation as the Manager of the company’s retail market segment in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Janice is a graduate of Syracuse University.  Among her professional and civic affiliations, she is a member of the highly respected Delta Sigma Theta Public Service Sorority, Continental Societies, Inc., a board member for the Houston Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, and serves on the Houston Area Urban League Advisory Council.  Janice was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors in 2003.

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Marvin Kaplan

Currently residing in Uptown Houston, Marvin Kaplan served on the senior management team of Palais Royal for more than 30 years. During his tenure, Marvin held a number of positions, but most recently he served as Vice-Chairman and Chief Financial Officer until the sale of the company in 1988.  Presently, Marvin assists in the management of his family assets.

Marvin is a graduate of The University of Houston with a degree in business administration.  He has been active in many civic and charitable organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League, Holocaust Museum Houston and Baylor College of Medicine.

Marvin is married and has three children and seven grandchildren. He was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors in 2006.

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Kendall Miller

Kendall Miller, President of the Tanglewood Corporation, is responsible for reorganizing the corporate structure of Tanglewood as a family partnership, in addition to renovating and expanding Post Oak Shopping Center with the addition of the Maggiano’s and Starbuck’s buildings. He joined Tanglewood Corporation 15 years ago as the subsidiary business venture officer and a manager of its custom home building subsidiary. In 1992, Kendall became the Vice President and Treasurer of Tanglewood Corporation, responsible for financial controls and analysis for its property management and development operations, and serving on the development team, which expanded Oshman’s Super Store on Post Oak and developed Tanglewood Center at Woodway and Chimney Rock.

Kendall is a graduate of Texas A&M University and received his Master’s degree from the University of Texas. He is active in several organizations, including Bank of Texas Board of Advisors, Houston Real Estate Council, International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) State Government Relations Chairman, C Club Treasurer and Westminster Weekday School Board of Advisors. Kendall was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors in 2003.

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Obie O’Brien

Obie O’Brien is the Vice President of Government Affairs for Apache Corporation. He has been director of Governmental, Regulatory and Community Affairs since joining Apache in 1992. Prior to joining the company, Mr. O'Brien served as Governmental Affairs manager for Mitchell Energy, special projects director for U.S. Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and projects coordinator for U.S. Rep. Michael A. Andrews. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.  Mr. O’Brien was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors in 2006.

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Judson W. Robinson, III

Judson W. Robinson, III is the President and CEO of the Houston Area Urban League. He previously served as Deputy Commissioner for Harris County Precinct 2; and from 1991 to 1997, Judson served the City of Houston as the Vice Mayor Pro Tem and as City Council Member at Large Position 5.  While serving on City Council, Judson chaired numerous committees including the Committee on Redevelopment and Revitalization, Committee on Fiscal Affairs, Committee on Minority and Women Owned Business and the Committee on Regulatory Affairs, among others.

In addition, Judson served on various local, state and national political organizations, civic and community boards and various leadership organizations.  A graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, Judson is married and has three children. He was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors in 1999.

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Lisa Simon

Lisa Simon is Manager of MFT Interests, GP, LLC. Former chairman of the Board for Southern National Bank, Lisa Simon has spearheaded the vision, planning and construction projects of the Southern National Bank headquarters building, Southern National Office Building, and the institution’s branches in Uptown Houston and Katy, Texas.

A graduate of Houston Baptist University and a former freelance photographer, Lisa has successfully chaired numerous fundraising events for organizations, including Fort Bend Partnership for Youth, Stehlin Foundation for Cancer Research, Houston Baptist University and the American Cancer Society Fort Bend.  She currently serves on the boards of Memorial Hermann Foundation, Kiwanis Foundation, Houston Baptist University and the Museum of Southern History Board of Directors.  She also has served on many other civic and charitable organizations.  Lisa was appointed to the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors in 2002.

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Louis S. Sklar

Louis S. Sklar is retired after a 38 year career at Hines, where he served as the Executive Vice President of Development and Operations. He also was as a Director of the AIM Funds from 1989 until 2004.  

Louis has been and is an active board member of numerous civic and charitable organizations, including the Herman Park Conservancy, Houston Zoo, Inc., Rice University Jones School and Scenic Houston.  

Louis served as a United States Naval Line Officer for 4 years after receiving a Bachelor's degree from Rice University.  He has served on the Uptown Houston TIRZ Board of Directors since 1999.

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