Schedule | About the Honoree | Tickets and Tables

The 2024 recipient of the Roy M. Huffington Award for Contributions to International Understanding is Donna Fujimoto Cole. Named after Asia Society Texas' cofounder, Ambassador Roy M. Huffington, the award is the highest honor bestowed by Asia Society Texas and distinguishes leaders who have made significant contributions to advancing cultural, social, and economic understanding.

Ms. Cole is being recognized for her longstanding commitment to advocating for civil rights, empowering women, promoting environmental awareness, and uplifting the Asian American community. Ms. Cole is the founder and CEO of Cole Chemical and has had an extensive business career purchasing, investing in, and leading companies related to chemical manufacturing, construction, real estate, and warehousing and distribution. A tireless leader of the Asian American community, Ms. Cole has served on the boards of dozens of companies and community, municipal, and nonprofit organizations. She has received numerous awards, including the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun bestowed by the Japanese government for her work promoting understanding between the United States and Japan.

Asia Society Texas is also excited to introduce the prestigious Game Changer Awards, which will recognize and celebrate trailblazing individuals, institutions, and corporations for their significant impacts on the Houston community. In this inaugural year, the Game Changer Awards will be presented in three categories as a testament to our commitment of fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world:

• Community Partner: The Chao Center for Asian Studies, Rice University, honored for its incredible outreach to Asian and Asian American community members in Houston and beyond.
• Corporate Citizenship: H-E-B, recognized for advancing education, fostering equity and inclusion, and improving the quality of life for millions of Texans.
• Innovator: Dr. Khurram Nasir, Houston Methodist, acknowledged for his groundbreaking research on preventive cardiology and his leadership in data science to improve health outcomes.

Anne-Laure and Steve Stephens and Nancy J. Li and Dr. Soner Tarim will serve as Event Chairs. The Friedkin Group and Gulf States Toyota; Kathy and Glen Gondo; Dr. Mikki Hebl and David Harvey; Zentaro Naganuma, Consul General of Japan; Yashuiko and Akemi Saitoh; and Stephanie and Frank Tsuru will serve as Honorary Chairs. This evening's conversation will be moderated by ABC's Melanie Lawson, and emceed by Emmy Award-winning storyteller Rose-Ann Aragon.

For sponsorship information, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.

Dress for this event is business, cocktail, or international attire.

Schedule

6 p.m. Registration and Reception
7 p.m. Dinner and Program

About the Honoree

Donna Fujimoto Cole founded Cole Chemical in 1980, at the age of 27 with $5,000. At the time she was divorced with a four-year old daughter. As the former Vice President of sales and 26 percent owner of delRey Chemical, and 1 percent owner of GoldKing Chemicals, she was encouraged to start her own business by her customers at Exxon, Dupont, Monsanto, and Shell. The company she founded, Cole Chemical, is a distributor of process chemicals and finished goods to the automotive, aerospace, chemical, energy, refining, and personal care industries.

Throughout her career, Donna has served in both leadership and advisory capacities for numerous industry, academic and nonprofit organizations. She served on President George H.W. Bush’s Export Council, as a Board of Overseer for the Amos Tuck School of Business, as a Trustee at the Rockwell Fund, and as an Executive Advisory Board member of the Institute for Supply Management. She used her extensive chemical industry contacts to locate and purchase a 10-ton railway car in Germany that was used during the Holocaust. The railway car is now on display at the Houston Holocaust Museum.

Ms. Cole is the daughter of a Japanese American World War II veteran who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. She worked to have the United States Congress recognize the heroic efforts of the “Nisei” Veterans recognized with Congressional Gold Medal of Honor and subsequently advised Filipino and Chinese veterans groups how to obtain their own respective congressional recognition.

She is also a producer of movies, plays, and musicals that depict strong women and supportive men to inspire women to take care of themselves, their families, and uplift their communities.

About the Moderator

ABC’s award-winning journalist Melanie Lawson currently serves as co-anchor of Live at 5, and Channel 13's midday show, Eyewitness News at 11am. Melanie has covered virtually every city, state, and national election during her career. She has traveled to Cuba, Panama, and Africa, among other places. She has won numerous awards for her reporting, including an Emmy for her coverage of President Clinton's visit to South Africa, the only local reporter in the nation to make that trip. Melanie has interviewed a wide range of notables, including three U.S. Presidents, Henry Kissinger, the Dalai Lama, poet Maya Angelou, Grammy Award winners Destiny's Child, and former heavyweight champion boxer George Foreman, among many others. She received her undergraduate degree in Politics from Princeton University, and a joint degree in Law and Journalism from Columbia University. She is admitted to both the Texas and New York State Bars.

About the Emcee

Rose-Ann Aragon is an Emmy Award-winning Filipina American storyteller with a firm belief in the power of storytelling. She graduated summa cum laude at the University of Illinois for Broadcast Journalism. In her work at Microsoft as a Global AI Innovation Storytelling Communications Manager, Rose-Ann and her team lead global AI innovation storytelling and strategy to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. In addition to creating storytelling and public speaking workshops to empower student voices, she is the External Comms co-lead for the new Asians @ Microsoft ERG chapter in Houston and co-created programming with ColorComm, the nation’s leading women’s platform addressing D&I across communications and media.

Before coming to Microsoft, she was KPRC2’s Space Reporter and led KPRC's committee dedicated to increasing diverse and community-driven storytelling. As a multimedia journalist and interim anchor, Rose-Ann pursued stories from all walks of life and spearheaded her own award-winning series on education and safety, telling stories from all over the world. Her reporting has been recognized by a Telly, Lone Star, Edward R. Murrow, and Emmy Awards.

Tickets and Tables

A letter acknowledging your contribution will be sent to the person(s) in which your gift was made in honor. Please complete this form and return it via mail, or click the ticket link below.

Download the Form

For more sponsorship information, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.

Table Underwriting

Diamond: $75,000

• Seating for four at head table
• Public recognition from podium at dinner
• Featured logo or name placement in invitation, print program, promotional materials, and on-site signage
• Inclusion of an individual/company representative on event host committee
• Admission for all guests to cocktail reception
• Two premier tables (seating for 10 each)
• Complimentary valet for all guests

Platinum: $50,000

• Seating for two at head table
• Public recognition from podium at dinner
• Featured logo or name placement on invitation, print program, promotional materials, and on-site signage
• Inclusion of an individual/company representative on event host committee
• Admission for all guests to cocktail reception
• One premier table (seating for 12)
• Complimentary valet for all guests

Gold: $25,000

• Public recognition from podium at dinner
• Featured logo or name placement on invitation, print program, promotional materials, and on-site signage
• Inclusion of an individual/company representative on event host committee
• Admission for all guests to cocktail reception
• One premier table (seating for 12)
• Complimentary valet for all guests

Silver: $15,000

• Logo or name placement in invitation and print program
• Inclusion of an individual/company representative on event host committee
• Admission for all guests to cocktail reception
• One priority table (seating for 10)
• Complimentary valet for all guests

Bronze: $10,000

• Logo or name placement in invitation and print program
• Inclusion of an individual/company representative on event host committee
• Admission for all guests to cocktail reception
• One priority table (seating for 8)
• Complimentary valet for all guests

SOLD OUT: Copper: $5,000 (Limited Availability)

• Logo or name placement in invitation and print program
• Inclusion of an individual/company representative on event host committee
• Admission for all guests to cocktail reception
• One table (seating for 8) OR sponsorship of a table for students
• Complimentary valet for all guests

Tickets

VIP Couple: $2,500

• Inclusion of couple on event host committee
• Priority dinner seating for 2
• Admission for 2 to cocktail reception
• Complimentary valet

VIP Ticket: $1,250

• Inclusion of individual on event host committee
• Priority dinner seating for 1
• Admission for 1 to cocktail reception
• Complimentary valet

Single Ticket: $500 (Limited Availability)

• Dinner seating for 1
• Admission to cocktail reception
• Complimentary valet

Sponsors

Platinum

Donna Fujimoto Cole | Kathy Gondo and Glen Gondo (December 3, 1948 – July 1, 2024)
Dr. Mikki Hebl and David Harvey

Gold 

Anonymous
Muffet Blake 
H-E-B
Stephanie and Frank Tsuru 

Silver

Sushila and Durga Agrawal
Chinhui and Edward Allen
Anne and Albert Chao 
The Sidley Austin Foundation
Tokyo Gardens Catering
Joy and Benjamin Warren
Ling and George Yang

Bronze

Akemi and Yasuhiko Saitoh Foundation
Nancy C. Allen
Amegy Bank | Mehta Family Foundation
The Friedkin Group and Gulf States Toyota
Reinnette and Stan Marek
Nancy J. Li and Dr. Soner Tarim, Royal Public Schools
White & Case LLP

Copper

Margie Van Elten and Joe Blommaert
Faye Chin | Rogene Gee Calvert
East West Bank
Friends of Donna Fujimoto Cole
Friends of Nancy J. Li and Donna Fujimoto Cole
Kathy and Marty Goossen
HOPE Clinic
Mandy and William Kao
Sylvia and Matt Kerrigan
Possible Missions
Rice University
Sue and Randy Sim
Southwestern National Bank

Additional Support

Tripp Carter
Theresa and Peter Chang
Flora Choy
Molly and James Crownover
Lily and Hamid Kooros
Connie Kwan-Wong
Cindy and Frank Liu
Susan and Ted Louie
Gordon Quan

Host Committee

Sushila and Durga Agrawal
Chinhui and Edward Allen
Nancy C. Allen
Muffet Blake
Margie Van Elten and Joe Blommaert
Rogene Gee Calvert
Andrea Caracostis, HOPE Clinic
Anne and Albert Chao
Faye Chin
Donna Fujimoto Cole
Jay Cuclis, White & Case LLP
Laird Doran, The Friedkin Group and Gulf States Toyota
Lily Chen and Charles Foster
Friends of Nancy J. Li and Donna Fujimoto Cole
Geraldine Gill
Kathy Gondo and Glen Gondo (December 3, 1948 – July 1, 2024)
Robert Gondo
Kathy and Marty Goossen
Dr. Mikki Hebl and David Harvey
Farhina and Mohsin Imtiaz
Mandy and William Kao
Sylvia and Matt Kerrigan
Joanne Kim, Southwestern National Bank
Shirley Kwan
Jody Lee, Southwestern National Bank
Y. Ping Sun and David Leebron
Kevin Lewis
Dawn Lin, Fidelity National Title
George Linhart, East West Bank
Priscilla and Mitchell Lou
Sultana and Moez Mangalji, Westmont Hospitality Group
Reinnette and Stan Marek
Rahul Mehta
Paula Mendoza, Possible Missions
Mary Hale Lovett McLean
Armando Perez
Regina Rogers
Akemi and Yasuhiko Saitoh
Chau Nguyen and Jay Sears
Sue and Randy Sim
Anne-Laure and Steve Stephens  
Selma and Mustafa Tameez
Nancy J. Li and Dr. Soner Tarim, Royal Public Schools
Stephanie and Frank Tsuru
Ann and Richard Vaughan
Ale and Mark Veltmann
Joy and Benjamin Warren
Ling and George Yang

About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.