August 09, 2022
Troy Porter elected new Chair of the Board of Directors
Houston, TX – David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel, announced that three of the Chapel’s board members have taken on new roles as officers. Troy Porter, the former Treasurer and Vice Chair is the new Chair following a four-year tenure of Michael Piana, with the Rev. Laura Mayo elected as Secretary, and C.C. Lee the new Treasurer.
“With these new officers, the future of the Rothko Chapel is in wonderful hands,” says David Leslie, Executive Director of the Rothko Chapel. “Troy, Laura and C.C. have all been part of our Board team for over the past few years and their continued commitment to the Chapel directly impacts the strength of our organization. Having just celebrated our 50th anniversary and looking ahead to the next phase of the Chapel’s campus expansion, this is a critical moment in the history of the Rothko Chapel as it expands its social action and human rights programming and ensures the Chapel will be a place of inspiration for many generations to come.”
“As a proponent for human rights and social justice, I am honored to serve in this new capacity as Board Chair at the Rothko Chapel, an organization that is a champion on these issues, “said Porter. I am excited to work alongside David Leslie and his dynamic team during a vital time in the Chapel’s history to ensure that this important work continues for the next 50 years, focusing on stewarding new and existing relationships to complete the campus expansion, to support and impact more people from 100 countries that pilgrimage to the Chapel annually.
Troy Porter, Board Chair
Troy Porter serves as the capital projects cost estimating manager for Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. He is responsible for evaluating and endorsing the capital requests for projects worldwide for the organization. A native Houstonian who graduated from the UT Austin with an engineering degree, Porter has worked for 30 years in the oil and gas industry. He has spent many hours volunteering for organizations such as MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Food Bank and the Museum of Fine Arts. After receiving his EMBA from the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University, Porter decided he wanted to serve his community by leading a nonprofit organization, not just being one of the volunteers. Porter served as board chair for the Urban Enrichment Institute, a 501 3(C) non-profit organization whose mission is “to empower boys to become responsible men and productive members of their families and communities.” UEI serves more than 100 boys between 11-18 years living in the Fifth Ward neighborhood of Houston and has been offering after-school and summer programs to its members for 30 years.
Reverend Laura Mayo, Secretary
Rev Laura Mayo is the Senior Minister of Covenant Church and is a graduate of Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee and Wake Forest University Divinity School in Winston- Salem, North Carolina. She completed a year-long CPE chaplaincy program at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and studied at Regent's Park College of Oxford University. Laura is active in Houston interfaith work including membership in American’s United for the Separation of Church and State clergy advisory group, The Coalition for Mutual Respect (of the Anti-Defamation League), The Faith Leaders Coalition, and Interfaith Ministries’ Multi-Faith Council. She has presented at The University of Houston Law School on religion and LGBTQ+ relationships, Project Lifeline concerning the treatment of people at our borders, Alley Theatre, and is regularly published in the Belief section of the Houston Chronicle.
CC Lee, Treasurer
CC Lee is the Founder and President/CEO of STOA International Architects, Inc. based in Houston. He has extensive community service including current and previous board membership with Neighborhood Recovery CDC, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Houston Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Houston Urban League and Houston Minority Business Council. He is an accomplished artist, highly sought-after lecturer, and an instructor at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University teaching a course titled “Modern Feng Shui Practice.” He is an active member of the Rothko Chapel community and was elected a Chapel Advisor in 2017.
Reelected to the board are members Omar El-Halwagi, a writer, speaker, consultant, and co-founder of the inclusive, spiritual Muslim organization, Grassroot Islam; Melanie Lawson, an award-winning journalist who currently serves as the co-anchor of Live at 5 and Eyewitness News for Channel 13 KTRK-TV; Chao-Chiung (C.C.) Lee, AIA, the founder and president of Houston-based STOA International Architects, Inc.; and Karen Rosa, former vice president and executive director of the Altman Foundation.
Other board members continuing their service to the Rothko Chapel are past board chair Michael Piana, president of MRP Holdings LLP; Sanford L. Dow, founding partner of Dow, Golub, Remels & Gilbreath PLLC; Rev. Laura Mayo, Senior Minister of Covenant Church; Troy Porter, estimating manager with Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, Kate Rothko Prizel, the daughter of Mark Rothko and a retired physician; Christopher Rothko, PhD, a clinical psychologist, writer, and editor of his father's book of philosophical writings, The Artist's Reality; Michele J. Sabino, Ed.D., development consultant; and Aziz Shaibani, M.D., neurologist associated with Baylor College of Medicine.