Loading...
Spring 2024 GatorServe at MLK
by GatorServe
155
Registered
Registration
Registration is now closed (this event already took place).
Details
This semester, UHD has adopted the historic Moody Park in the Near Northside community with a goal of revitalizing the park and its recreation facilities to keep it a thriving gathering place for youth, families, and adults.
Volunteers will meet at the Moody Park Community Center located at 3725 Fulton Street, Houston, TX 77009.
Important Registration Information
- All volunteers must complete the waiver that can be accessed via the following link: https://app.wfmplatform.com/form/public/lE8EAKslxSs1
- When registering, select only one option. Multiple registrations will be deleted.
- Members of the UHD community should log in using their UHD credentials rather than creating a guest account.
- Only pre-approved volunteers may select the Event Hospitality / Lead registration option. Unapproved registrations will be deleted.
File Attachments: Aerial_Map_of_Moody_Park_Parking_Lot_Outlined, Block_R_2012_From_the_Riots_to_the_Future_for_the_Northside_Houston_History_Vol_9_No_3_pp2024, GatorServe_Agenda_SP24_Final
Food Provided (Volunteers should eat prior to arriving - light breakfast snacks will be offered and premium boxed lunches to go will be provided. )
Where
Moody Park
3725 Fulton Street, Houston, TEXAS 77009, United States
Speakers
Herbert C. Sims, Jr.
Assistant Director of Neighborhood Services & Finance
City of Houston's Department of Neighborhoods
https://www.linkedin.com/in/herbert-sims-jr-mba-60b39835/
Herbert C. Sims, Jr. is Assistant Director of Neighborhood Services and Finance for the City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods since December 2021. Previously he was the Budget and Finance Division Manager for the Department of Neighborhoods and Staff Analyst for the City of Houston’s Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office. Herbert has worked in city government for 23 years and with City of Houston for 21 years.
Herbert previously worked as a Court Counselor for the Juvenile Accountability Court Program, as well as a Counselor for the Youth Offender Program and Gang Reduction Intervention Team. Before joining the City of Houston’s Mayor’s Anti-Gang Team, Herbert taught Social Studies at the Brazos School in Bryan, TX and interned with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Washington DC. In 2001 Herbert was accepted into the prestigious Urban Fellow’s Program working for the City of New York’s Department of Transportation Passenger Transport Division.
He is a graduate of Texas A& M University with a BA in Speech Communications and a minor in Political Science and has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston-Downtown.
Mario Castillo
Councilmember, District H
City of Houston
Mario Castillo, a dedicated public servant and proud native Houstonian, is now set to bring his passion for community service to the forefront as the Council Member for District H. Born and raised in the heart of District H, Mario's roots run deep, with a family history steeped in community involvement.
Mario's grandfather, an immigrant to the United States, laid the foundation for a strong family legacy by establishing Castillo's Realty, a small business that thrived for 47 years in Houston’s Near Northside neighborhood.
Mario is a graduate of the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. Mario continued his academic pursuits at Texas A&M University, earning a bachelor's degree in Political Science and a master's degree in Public Health. As a proud Aggie, Mario's academic background laid the groundwork for his future endeavors in public service.
Mario embarked on his career with a commitment to improving the lives of others. His career in public health started with his role organizing communities to facilitate health insurance enrollment through the Affordable Care Act. In 2016, he assumed the role of District H Chief of Staff, gaining valuable insights into the intricacies of local government and firsthand experience of the challenges faced by residents throughout District H. Mario's dedication to public health led him to the Houston Health Department, where he worked on translating complex health data into actionable public health information for communities citywide. Currently, Mario serves as the Executive Director of Your Houston, a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for all Houstonians.
Service to the community is a core value for Mario. His volunteer work includes serving on the board of the MD Anderson YMCA and the Houston Police Department Training Advisory Board. Previously, he played a key role on the Hardy/Near Northside TIRZ board, expanding the zone to address blight and long-standing infrastructure issues. Mario's contributions to the Houston Land Bank facilitated the creation of vital single-family workforce housing projects in District H. His commitment to the LGBTQ+ community is evident in his role on the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus Board, where he served as Board Chair and Fundraising Chair, earning recognition as the Larry Banagaris Leadership Team Member of the Year in 2022.
Dr. Loren J. Blanchard
President
University of Houston-Downtown
https://www.linkedin.com/in/loren-blanchard/
Loren J. Blanchard joined the University of Houston-Downtown as its seventh president on March 15, 2021. During his tenure at UHD, Dr. Blanchard has launched the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan: A New Paradigm with Student Success as the University’s number one priority. Since the implementation of that plan, UHD has made progress toward multiple interrelated goals through organizational changes that ensure systematic first-year support, strategic and ongoing academic advising, and provisions to meet students’ basic needs.
Under Dr. Blanchard’s leadership, the University has received more than $30 million in awards from public and private funders who support its vision, recognize its progress, and believe in its potential. U.S. News ranked UHD among Top Performers on Social Mobility and awarded the University a No. 1 ranking as the most diverse institution of higher education in the southern region of the United States. He leads with a commitment to the civic and moral imperatives that a higher education must prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to address the critical needs of their communities and the most pressing concerns of our nation.
A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Blanchard holds a bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology Education from Xavier University of Louisiana, a master's degree in Education from McNeese State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia.