Kiwanis Club Of Houston upcoming events

November 5th - Luncheon (05 Nov 2026)

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Kiwanis Club of Houston

November 5th Luncheon

This luncheon will be at Maggiano's!!

Speaker: Red O'Laughlin

Red O’Laughlin is a distinguished researcher, best-selling author, and international public speaker dedicated to exploring the intricate chemical reactions in the human body at the cellular level. With a keen focus on uncovering cause-and-effect relationships, Red emphasizes the importance of addressing root causes rather than merely treating symptoms. He often states, “Treat symptoms, and you will always treat symptoms. You must treat the cause of a problem to correct it.”

Red is the author of eight insightful books covering personal growth, health and wellness, writing, and religion. His expertise spans health and wellness, longevity, and age-related diseases. In addition to his writing, Red has served as a military and corporate trainer and a college educator, sharing his knowledge with diverse audiences.

As a Distinguished Toastmaster, he has delivered hundreds of engaging speeches to audiences of all sizes, inspiring individuals to pursue healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Being a published author is one way to establish credibility as a business owner. Public speaking is another way. At a Toastmasters meeting, I spoke about how being introduced as a published author increases the speaker’s credibility, mainly when the speaker writes in the same field they speak. About a year later, one of the members of that meeting tracked me down. He had written a book but could not get it published. Three weeks later, he had a copy of his new book in his hands.

I have spoken at many venues including the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, International Logistics Symposiums, Professional Society meetings, Senior Corporate and Military Staffs, and over 125 presentations on the USA Global TV & Radio Network Talking Heads show. Additionally, I have taught statistics at the college level for three years.

November 19th - Luncheon (19 Nov 2026)

Thu, 19 Nov 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Kiwanis Club of Houston
November 19th Luncheon

This luncheon will be at Brennan's!!

Speaker: Blake Pfeffer

Blake Pfeffer is a Texas native whose life blends a distinguished professional career with deep agricultural roots. He is re red from a 36-year career in the mortgage industry. Alongside his brother Kirk, he manages and develops the family farm in Waller County—parts of which trace their title back to Stephen F. Austin's “Old Three Hundred” grant to Jared Grace, a foundational part of Texas history. His family traces its Texas roots to Noah Smithwick, a partcicipant in the Texas Revolution on who later served as a Texas Ranger. Blake earned his degree from the University of Texas, where he studied Finance and Engineering Route to Business. Above all, he is a devoted family man who has been married to his wife Jeanne for thirty-six years, and together they’ve raised four adult children. Whether on the farm, at work, or at home, Blake’s life reflects a commitment to tradition, responsibility, and community rooted in the values of his home state.

December 3rd - Luncheon (03 Dec 2026)

Thu, 03 Dec 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Kiwanis Club of Houston

December 3rd Luncheon

This luncheon will be at Maggiano's!!

Speaker: Charles Porter, Ph.D.

Charles Porter, Ph.D. is an accomplished and award-winning author, speaker, testifying real estate expert in over 840 cases nationwide, and served in various faculty teaching roles at St. Edward’s University 2008 – 2026. In 2016 he earned a Ph.D. in Economics and Business from the Universitat Jaume I in Spain with “Cum Laude” distinction. He is also a nationally recognized water rights expert. He recently won the Educator of the Year Award from the Austin Board of REALTORS®.

He was elected Chair of the Education Standards Committee of the Texas Real Estate Commission in 2022, served as co-author of TREC’s Legal I and Legal II 2022-2023 Manual and TREC’s Broker Responsibility Manual for 2023-2024. He also served as Alternate to the TREC Broker/Lawyer Committee.

His authored other college textbooks, Sharing the Common Pool: Water Rights in the Everyday Lives of Texans (College Station: Texas A & M Press, 2014), Public Water Policies: The Ultimate Weapons of Social Control (New York and London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2018) and Water Rights in the United States: A Guide Through the Maze (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023). For Taylor and Francis /Routledge he authored a chapter in the college textbook The World of American West titled “The Hydraulic West: The History of Irrigation.”

He authored “TREC Contracts Now Include Information on Water Rights” Texas Realtor Magazine, May/June 2026, “What’s a Cap Rate?” published in Texas Realtor in their January/February 2023 issue. With Ed McCarthy, Esq. he authored “Methods and Challenges in the Credible Valuation of Water Rights in Texas” presented at the University of Texas School of Law’s 2016 Texas Water Institute. He authored “Of Urgent Concern - What Prompted House Bill 162, the Groundwater Conservation Act of 1949” which appeared in the peer-reviewed academic journal Panhandle Plains Historical Review, Vol. LXXXVIII, 2017 (published in January 2018). In November 2019, he authored “Build Your Competency,” an article published in Texas Realtor Magazine, in which he analyzed the revised duties of real estate license holders to be geographically competent in the areas in which they serve. With Gary Pate, Esq., he authored “Navigating Seller’s Disclosure After Harvey” which appeared in Texas Realtor Magazine in November, 2017. In 2015, he authored and published the article titled “What you need to know about mineral rights” that appeared in the January/February 2-15 issue of Texas Realtor Magazine.

January 21st - Luncheon (21 Jan 2027)

Thu, 21 Jan 2027 18:00:00 GMT

Kiwanis Club of Houston
January 21st Luncheon

This luncheon will be at Brennan's!!

Speaker: Shariq Ghani

Shariq was appointed chairman of the City of Houston's Food Insecurity Board and serves on the board of Jerusalem Peacebuilders, as well as being the President of his local Municipal Utility District. He is a Senior Fellow in the American Leadership Forum (Class 62) and a Truman National Security Fellow. He completed his graduate studies in Homeland Security at The Bush School at Texas A&M and holds a master's degree in Negotiation and Conflict Resolution from Columbia University, bringing a specialized focus on peacebuilding to his work. Shariq married his best friend, has three children, and is looking for a PhD program that will have him.

February 18th - Luncheon (18 Feb 2027)

Thu, 18 Feb 2027 18:00:00 GMT

Kiwanis Club of Houston
February 18th Luncheon

This luncheon will be at Brennan's!!

Speaker: Miles Harper

With more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Miles has held leadership roles including Director and Chairman of Bridgeway Mutual Funds and Board Chair of Calvert Mutual Funds. He previously served as a partner at Carr, Riggs & Ingram, LLC, and Gainer, Donnelly & Desroches.

In addition to his professional career, Miles is committed to community service and leadership. He serves on the boards of the Houston Cinema Arts Society and BETCO Scaffolds and volunteers as a chaplain with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, helping inmates develop life skills to support their successful transition back into society.