Luncheon Meeting (Members and invited Guests)
Speaker: Gary Polland and David Jones. Topic: "Their Politics Act"
Gary Polland has been a practicing attorney for more than 35 years. His practice is a mix of government and industry relations for Texas Strategies and trial work in Civil, family and criminal courts.
Most recently he has honored by his selection in Texas Justice, a new book about outstanding Texas Lawyers and historical courthouses. In addition, he served as Republican Chairman in Harris County Texas from 1996 to 2002. As chairman, he earned national recognition for the party's success and for his Republican party building efforts in such publications as Human Events, the national conservative weekly, the American Spectator, the Houston Chronicle and Inside Houston Magazine.
Gary 's political alliances are widespread from his decades of involvement in local, state and national politics. Among the many Boards he has served on are locally as a member of the Executive Committee of the Community Relations Commission and in January 2006 was the leader of the Texas Legislative Mission to Israel. Gary also served for a decade on the executive committee of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and serves on the board of the Susan B. Anthony List (a political action committee). Most recently Gary served as Vice Chairman of the United Jewish Communities - Human Services and Social Policy Pillar and Co-Chaired its 2005 Washington fly-in.
Gary received his Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and his Juris Doctor at the Universityof Texas . While there, Gary was named a Cactus Outstanding Student, a Collegeof Business Administration Outstanding Student and was a member of the Friars Honor Society. He served in the United States Air Force and Army reserves and received an honorable discharge at the rank of E-7.
In 1997, the Republic National Hispanic Assembly named Gary “Elected Official of the Year” and in 2002 he received the Tuff Tusk award from the National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs and was named Reaganite of the Year by the Reagan Alumni Association.
Gary is author of a book titled "A Time for Choosing 35 Years Later" an update of President Reagan's classic speech and from 2001 co-hosted a weekly one-hour program Texas Politics- The Real Deal on Access Houston Television until joining PBS in 2003.
Currently Gary is co-host of PBS-Houston’s public affairs weekly show, “Red, White & Blue” along with liberal David Jones. He also is a regular commentator on politics with Fox-26 Houston. He also is the editor of the email newsletter and biannual magazine the Texas Conservative Review, which is now in it’s tenth year located at www.texasconservativereview.com.
David A. Jones was admitted to the Bar, 1975, Texas ; Preparatory education: University of Houston , (B.A. 1971); Legal education University of Houston , (J.D. 1975). Assistant District Attorney of Harris County, 1976-1978; Assistant Attorney General of Texas, 1978-1980; appointee to the Battleship Texas Advisory Board. He served on the Executive Board of the Houston Branch of the NAACP for two years and was the nominee of the Democratic Party of Harris County for District Attorney in 1984. He was a partner in a private law practice in Houston with former Mayor Fred Hofheinz until January, 1996, when their firm joined with Williams, Birnberg & Andersen, L.L.P. David managed the affairs of clients before state, local and federal Agencies as well as governing bodies. He represented many businesses with contract concerns before city government.
His current practice focuses primarily on criminal defense law. He has represented companies facing legislation and regulation. David has contributed articles on political affairs and public policy to the editorial pages of the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, and other Texas newspapers. From 1985-1987 he authored a monthly column on politics entitled "The Cutting Edge: for Houston Community Newspapers and the 1960 Sun.
From September 1989 until 1994, David hosted and co-produced Pressing Issues, a live one hour public affairs television program with viewer participation broadcast weekly on Access Houston television. He has been a frequent guest commentator on political matters for two Houston radio programs.
Beginning in 2001, David has co-hosted with Gary Polland a live weekly-hour long broadcast "The Real Deal" on Houston Media Source. The show has caller participation and uses local political talent, officeholders and activists to encourage public education on politics.
