Events

Sasha once our Ops manager, now the CEO of Katy Responds. . A Fort Bend County resident for over 12 years, Sasha Cox is deeply involved in community service, from disaster recovery to supporting local schools and nonprofits. She’s served on the I-10 Shootout board, spent six years in the National Charity League, and actively supports youth sports, the arts, and the Cinco Ranch Band.

Katy Responds began after Hurricane Harvey devastated our community in Katy, Texas. Homes were completely flooded, families were displaced, and many homeowners simply could not afford the repairs needed to return home.

In response, a group of local church leaders came together with one simple goal: to help our neighbors repair and recover thus leading to our creation in 2018.  What started as an emergency response quickly became something more as we continued to meet families who needed help long after the storm had passed. Since then, our area has faced additional natural disasters, and we’ve continued to see a steady need for critical home repairs as well as mobility modifications through our Age in Grace program. We are the last stop before homelessness for most. In addition to repairs, we connect homeowners to additional resources with our organizational partnerships who experienced personal hardships.

As the need grew, so did our reach. Today, Katy Responds serves homeowners in West Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Waller County.

Our work is made possible through individual donations, partnerships with local businesses, and support from local grantor and foundations. At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to serve our neighbors, restore homes, and bring hope when it’s needed most.

Goodwill Houston’s mission of Changing Lives Through the Power of Work has been our driving force since our inception in 1945. For over 75 years, Goodwill Houston has been dedicated to serving the Greater Houston community, and we could not do it without your help. With the support of Houstonians donating gently-used items, shopping in our stores, participating in our fundraising events, and helping to spread the word, we have been able to provide countless opportunities for those seeking a second chance in life.

Through your many contributions, we are able to provide free job training, education, and career opportunities through our Career Centers and Goodwill Connect stores. We offer new opportunities and free programs to veterans, older workers, youth, individuals with disabilities, those formerly incarcerated, and anyone with barriers to employment or in need of a new opportunity.

I am proud to lead this innovative and exceptional organization as we continue to expand our mission and develop new ways to serve those in need. 

Thank you for being an integral part of the Goodwill Houston family.

The Katy ISD Education Foundation unites people and companies with big hearts and a big belief in children and teachers to provide unprecedented opportunities for both.

​Our primary purpose is to award Inspiring Imagination teacher grants that fund innovative classroom programs. In doing so, we provide a means for the entire community to become stakeholders in the education of all Katy ISD students by supporting teachers at every Katy ISD campus.

We are building a legacy that will enrich our community for generations to come.

After 20 years as an international tax professional working for worldwide firms and multinational companies, I have changed my day-to-day working life to develop small business opportunities. Car washing, Pool construction, Home cleaning, printing and marketing are some examples of the activities that are keeping me busy. Professional networker and business connector as well as Rotarian are also other activities where I'm involved.

Scotty has been a Sales Associate for ANCO’s Commercial division in the Houston market since 2022. He spent over 25 years as a trusted advisor in the banking industry, gaining experience working with business owners about their unique needs. Over his career, Scotty has been active with various organizations, including the Korean American Association of Houston, Rotary Club of Katy, and Business Networking International. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the University of Houston – Clear Lake.

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. 

Please follow the Rotary Club of Katy at 

https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfKaty/

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.

Please follow the Rotary Club of Katy at 

https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfKaty/

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.

Please follow the Rotary Club of Katy at 

https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfKaty/