Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast Annual Luncheon February 28, 2025
today’s program
PERFORMANCE
Adriana LaRue
WELCOME
Allie Peacock
2025 Chair
REMARKS
Melaney A. Linton
President & CEO, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
SECOND CENTURY AWARD
Deborah Detering, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, Katherine Center, and Shelley Stein
2025 Honorees
FUNDRAISING UPDATE
Erin Mincberg Spiegel
Board Member, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
break
KEYNOTE FIRESIDE CHAT
Amanda Zurawski
Reproductive Rights Advocate
Dr. Anitra Beasley
Medical Director, Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast
CLOSING
Allie Peacock
2025 Chair
Adriana LaRue Performer
a letter from our chair
Dear versus Guests,
I want to extend my sincere gratitude to each of you for joining us at the 2025 versus Luncheon. Your presence means a great deal, and your support means even more.
What we do today makes a difference. The money we raise today is essential to Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast’s ability to do its work providing safe, compassionate, and nonjudgmental health care for all people, regardless of identity or income. That includes out-ofstate abortion navigation, birth control, STI testing and treatment, HIV prevention, cancer screenings, annual wellness visits, genderaffirming hormone therapy, primary care, emergency contraception, and more.
Your support also funds medically accurate, age-appropriate sexual health education; community outreach; legislative and issue advocacy; and lobbying for reproductive health and rights. And with Texas’ 89th Legislative Session underway, every bit of this work is more critical than ever.
I would also like to thank the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring today’s event to life. While this event is primarily a fundraiser, it is also an important opportunity to gather with others who share PPGC’s vision for the future. And to my versus committee members: I am immensely grateful for everything you have done. My sincerest thanks to each of you for your part in making this event a success.
I know that we can be what PPGC and our community need now. Together, we are creating a healthier, more equitable future for all.
With heartfelt appreciation, Allie
Peacock
second century award
2025 HONOREES: DEBORAH DETERING, CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER, KATHERINE CENTER, AND SHELLEY STEIN
Deborah Detering and her daughters
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, Katherine Center, and Shelley Stein are proud, lifelong supporters of Planned Parenthood
Gulf Coast (PPGC) who have demonstrated fierce public advocacy and support for our organization and mission. The sisters co-chaired PPGC’s 2009 luncheon, and all four women have contributed individually in various ways to advance reproductive freedom in Texas.
PREVIOUS AWARD RECIPIENTS
SECOND CENTURY AWARD: Sallie Morian (2024); Cecile Richards (2024); Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge (2024); Tamara Kreinin (2023); Elena Marks (2023); PPGC Hand Holders (2022); PPGC Frontline Health Care Staff (2021); Lillie Robertson, Beth Robertson, & Cullen Geiselman (2020); Melanie Gray (2019); The Clayton Family (2018)
LEGACY CIRCLE HONOREES: Louella Breedlove; Betty Lou Carter; Abby Ray Catledge; Richard Colt; Peter J. Durkin; Flora Fenner; Tina Freeman; Karen Ostrum George; Melanie Gray; Susan Gundlach; Dr. Holley Galland Haymaker; Peggy Heaton; Burdine Clayton Johnson; Rosa Keller; Wendy Wallace Kelsey; Caroline Weiss Law; Susan McAshan; The Rev. W. Stewart MacColl; Nancy McGregor Manne; Neal Manne; Peggy Neuhaus; Hanni S. Orton; Joan C. Penniman; Genevieve Peterkin; Nancy Peterkin; Dee Dee Reilly; Mimi Robinson Rose; Gwyn W. Smith; Eleanor Tinsley; Phyllis Van Kerrebrook; Isabel Brown Wilson
featured guests
PERFORMER: ADRIANA LARUE
Meet Adriana LaRue, one of Houston’s fiercest drag queens! This stunning transgender performer is a powerhouse in the world of drag, representing one of Texas’ most diverse and talented drag families. With an unwavering passion for the community, Adriana is a fierce advocate for trans rights and always ready to speak her truth. Get ready for a show like no other— when Adriana hits the stage, you never know what surprises are in store! She’s the true definition of a Texas showgirl: bold, brilliant, and unforgettable!
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: AMANDA ZURAWSKI
Amanda Zurawski is an Austin-based advocate for reproductive rights and one of TIME’s 2025 Women of the Year. In 2022, after 18 months of fertility treatment, Amanda and her husband, Josh, learned she was pregnant with their first baby. Unfortunately, Amanda would later miscarry weeks into her pregnancy – but Texas’ abortion bans nearly cost Amanda her life in the process. After three days without proper medical care, Amanda crashed into septic shock. Following her nearly week-long hospital stay, she began speaking out about her harrowing experience and has since testified before U.S. Congress, in countless media appearances, at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and as the lead plaintiff in Zurawski v. Texas, the first lawsuit brought by patients challenging a state’s abortion bans since the fall of Roe v. Wade.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DR. ANITRA BEASLEY
Dr. Anitra Beasley serves as Medical Director at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine and Assistant Dean of Academic and Faculty Affairs at Ben Taub Hospital. A leader in reproductive health and family planning, Dr. Beasley directs multiple training programs and serves as president-elect of the Society of Family Planning while maintaining a clinical practice in the Harris Health System. Dr. Beasley earned her medical degree and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine. Her advanced training includes a complex family planning fellowship and a Master of Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology from Columbia University. She is a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a fellow in the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
in memoriam
Cecile Richards, 1957-2025
ABOVE RIGHT: Cecile Richards with PPGC staff at the grand opening of the New Orleans health center, a project made possible by Cecile’s work on the Southern Access Project.
ABOVE LEFT: Cecile at the 2013 Stand with Texas Women rally in downtown Houston. BELOW: Cecile with President & CEO Melaney Linton at PPGC’s 2017 record-setting Roe v. Wade Luncheon, where Cecile delivered keynote remarks.
A tireless champion and dear friend to Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Cecile Richards passed away on January 20, 2025 after a valiant battle with brain cancer.
A proud first daughter of Texas who adopted Louisiana as a second home, Cecile had a special connection to our region and never once stopped fighting for its people.
During her 12-year tenure as our national president and CEO, Cecile shepherded Planned Parenthood into the 21st century and grew our movement by millions of supporters. Cecile’s visionary leadership shaped Planned Parenthood into what it is today, and her enduring strength and fighting spirit have inspired a whole generation of activists to make Good Trouble.
Her loss will be felt by all who knew her and even those who didn’t. Her legacy will live on in every Planned Parenthood health center, in every woman who finds strength in her own choices, and in every life changed by her relentless fight for freedom and dignity.
in memoriam
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, 1950-2024
Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast mourns the loss of U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee , a fierce and steadfast advocate for reproductive health, rights, and justice, who passed away on July 19, 2024. For decades, Rep. Jackson Lee faithfully served our communities and fought tirelessly for all of our freedoms. A formidable force in Congress and a reliable presence at home, Rep. Jackson Lee was a true public servant and champion for the people, particularly the historically marginalized communities she represented with pride and passion. We were delighted to see the Congresswoman, as we so often did, at last year’s versus Luncheon and could always count on her unwavering support for Planned Parenthood and our patients. She was an indefatigable defender of our rights, and she leaves a legacy of civil service and advocacy that will inspire generations of future leaders. Her death is a profound loss for our community and our country.
TOP RIGHT: Congresswoman Jackson Lee with PPGC President & CEO Melaney Linton at last year’s versus Luncheon. ABOVE: Congresswoman Jackson Lee with the late Cecile Richards (left) and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner (right) at past PPGC luncheons.
ppgc board of directors
Pam Reiland, Chair
Cathy Coleman, Vice Chair
Victoria Ramos, Treasurer
Juliet McBride, Secretary
Lindsay Reeves, Development
Committee Chair
Robin O’Neil, Immediate Past Chair
Belinda Lewis Batiste
Lisa Coffin
Mariella De Alba Ortiz
Tiffany Echevarria
Micah Fincher
Fatima Hassan Ali
Angela Jones, PhD
Rashmi Kudesia, MD
Verniss McFarland
Erin Mincberg Spiegel
Swati Narayan
Michael Reeder
Takema Robinson
Rochelle Tafolla
luncheon committee
Allie Peacock, Chair
Madhureeta Achari, MD & William B. Dixon II
Laury Adams
Natalye Appel
Maida Asofsky
Sarah Balinskas
Eileen Barrett
Anitra Beasley
Preity Bhagia
Lee Blask
Katie Bolt
Hillary Boswell
Kathleen A. Boyd
Lauren Brollier
Katherine Butler
Lori Choi
Lisa Coffin
Margie Cohen
Clare H. Doyle
Micah Fincher
Stephanie Spicer Frey
Amanda Gelb
Karen Ostrum
George
Louise & Larry Glenn
Rhoda Goldberg
Betsy Goldstein
Katie Beth Gottlieb
Shelley Gottschalk
Caitlin Halpern
Carla Holeva
Ann Jackson
Katherine Jackson
Leora Kahn
Sara Kelly
Ann Kennedy & Geoffrey Walker
Marilyn Knight
Jacqueline Koenig
Peggie Kohnert
Sandy Lessig
Kimberly Lopez
Silky Malik
Elena Marks
Nancy McGregor & Neal Manne
Lisa Mellencamp
Beth Merfish
Sherry Merfish
Beatrice MladenkaFowler
Katie Moore
David Morris
Amy Moss
Michele P. Mullin
M. Anne Murphy
Rufi Natarajan
Suzanne Nimocks
Beth Peré
Brenda Peters-Chase
Jil Robbins Pollock
Janet Pozmantier
Chuck Randall
Pam Reiland
Ashleigh Rickertsen
Lillie Robertson
Rachel Roosth
Ellen Safier
Cathryn Rodd Selman
Angela Smith
Kimberly Hickson
Spaw
Lori Swann
Rochelle Tafolla
Karen Twitchell
Jessica Walters
Thebe Warren
Julie Watkins
Rebecca White & Scott Brann
Lora Wildenthal
Paulette Wolfson
luncheon sponsors
SECOND CENTURY
Gardenia Foundation
VISIONARY
Anne & Albert Chao / Diana Strassmann & Jeff Smisek
Gene Graham
Joan Hohlt & Roger Wich Foundation
Burdine Clayton Johnson
LEGACY
Janet Clark
Deborah Detering / Lizzie & Scott Fletcher / Katherine & Gordon Center / Shelley & Matt Stein
Anne Lewis & David Morris
Suzan Miles
Allie Peacock
Lillie Robertson
MOVEMENT MAKER
Amanda & Sarah Gelb
Karen George / Karen Shouse / Karen Twitchell
Wendy & Mavis Kelsey
Peggie Kohnert
Nancy McGregor & Neal Manne
Sherry & Gerald Merfish
Carolyn & Jake Sabat
CHAMPION OF CHOICE
Margie Beaudet
Nancy Bolduc & Barbara Mackey
Jim Boyd
Wendy Chiles
Clare Doyle / Ann Kennedy & Geoffrey Walker / Suzanne Nimocks / Cathryn Selman
Marta Fonseca / Liz & Cris
McGuffee / Julie & Paul Watkins
Esther Friedman Family Foundation / Ann & J. Kent Friedman
Susanne Galtney
Melanie Gray & Mark Wawro
Jill, Sarah, & Brittany Jewett
Ann Kaufman / Barbara Samuels
Beth Matusoff Merfish & Daniel Coleman
Beth Robertson
Marci Rosenberg & Benjamin Samuels
Ellen Safier
Jeri & Marc Shapiro
Angela Laswell Smith & Mark W. Smith
Tracy Stein
Lorraine Wulfe
COURAGEOUS VOICE
Madhureeta Achari, MD & William B. Dixon II
Joan & Stanford Alexander Family
Beth Apke & Stephanie Larsen
Terri Benson & Andy Sikora
Preity Bhagia
Lauren Kaufman Blachman / Marcy Laviage / Lisa Pollock
Lee Blask
Virginia (Ginger) A. Clark
Lisa Coffin / Jocelyn Coffin
Sharon Davis
Jenny Elkins
Jennifer B. Farnell / Carol S. Price
Karen Freedman
Martha Freedman
Rhonda Gerson / Deedee Ostfeld / Sheila Loewenstern / Ede Weiner
Louise Glenn / Paulette Wolfson
Betsy Goldstein
Jeryl & Jeff Golub / Jacqueline Koenig / Christine Laskin
Jan Greer / Rose Ann Medlin & Bill Joor
Emily & Kevin Haggard
Paige & George Hagle
luncheon sponsors
Caitlin Halpern
Jacqueline Hecht & Wayne Dorris
Rochelle & Alan Jacobson
Sis & Hasty Johnson
Robert & Margery Loeb
Meredith Maierson
Elena & Kenneth Marks
Jan McNeill & Frank Griffin
Minnie & Jhett Nelson
Robin O’Neil & Jonathan Eisen
Louise Bayless Parsley
Jil Robbins Pollock
Kathryn Rabinow & Gail Faris
Victoria Ramos
Carroll Ray
Frannie Robertson
Beverly Robinson
Rachel Roosth
Mallory and James Shaddix
Gwynneth Smith
Lori Swann & Cathy Easter
Rochelle Tafolla & Richard Hess
Thebe Warren
Rebecca White & Scott Brann
ADVOCATE
Laury Adams
Christina Alvarez-Perry
American Civil Liberties Union of Texas
Maida Asofsky
Katie Bolt, MD
Commissioner Lesley Briones
Heather Brown
Katherine Louise Butler
Barbara & Richard Calfee
Margie Cohen
Marcia Davidoff / Karen Feld / Joyce Sandweiss
Anne Furse
Kathy Watkins Harrison
Kimberly Hickson & David Spaw
Cisselon Hurd
I’ll Have What She’s Having
Ann Jackson
Ann Jackson / Virginia Jackson
Leora Kahn
Katie Kildal & Mitra Woody
Legal Media, Inc.
Sandy Lessig
Augusta Levine
Teresa McCanlies
Carly Milner & Ashleigh Rickertsen
Ginni & Richard Mithoff
Beatrice Mladenka-Fowler & Jesse Fowler
Michele P. Mullin
Veronica Nasser
H. Russell Pitman
Michele Pola
Susan Rafte / Katherine Wildman ROADwomen
Sylvia & Mark Russell
Lois Farfel Stark
Alia Vinson & Rob Icsezen
Connie Wallace
Jessica Walters
Whatever It Takes
Lora Wildenthal
Cyvia Wolff
FIERCE FRIEND
Dr. Natasha Afonso
Neelofur Ahmad
Mary Ainslie & Lee Huber
Marcy Antiuk
Katy Bacon
Betty Baer
Sharon Baker
Anitra Beasley
Sarah Bennett / Vivian Vanden
Bout / Lauren Brollier / Laura Doherty / Kelsey Falcone / Kathryn King / Stephanie Paal / Megan Pallister / Daniele Soheli / Yuri Thompson
luncheon sponsors
Hillary Boswell
Hon. Marilyn Burgess, District Clerk
Katherine Louise Butler
Cafe Con Ladies
Katie Carner
Claire Caudill & Marsha Dodson
Cathy Coleman
Dee Coleman
Carly Craig
Drs. Sheri & Cliff Dasco
Catherine Del Paggio
Nisha Desai / Tammira Philippe / Amanda Townsley
Jennifer Ducey / Kari Findley / Amy Melton
Emerson UU Church
First Unitarian Universalist Church of Houston
Harriet Foster
Stephanie Spicer Frey
Friends of Lizzie Fletcher
Friends of Sandy Lessig
Dacia & Robert Gonzales
Lainie Gordon & David Mincberg / Erin Mincberg Spiegel & Scotty Spiegel
Katie Beth, Adam, & Eliana Gottlieb
Havins & Associates, PC
Katy & Clyde Hays
HPV Book Club
Vicki Huff
Heather Hughes
Kate Jackson
Sandy & Dr. Richard Jackson
Carey Jordan & Iona Kaiser
Katy Area Democrats
Susan Kennedy
Ashly Kirkland
Marilyn Knight / M. Anne Murphy
Ron Kronberg
Lady Liberty Row
Suzy LaForge / Pamela L. Reiland
Zachary Lessig
Nicole Sofer Loewenstern
Audrey MacLean
Gabby Martinez
Lisa Mellencamp & Chuck Randall
Barbara Miller
Susan Morrison Rufi Natarajan
Laurie Noteboom
Laura Ogburn
Karen Oshman
Wanda Pan & David Tocco
Francey Pengra & Edwin Allday
Brenda Peters-Chase
Phillips / Kelly / Leuders / Campbell / Bellows / Black
Michele Bower Piazza
Janet & Jeff Pozmantier
Mrs. Risher Randall
Pamela L. Reiland
Monica Roberson
Susan Rokes
Phyllis L. Segal
Dr. Ed & Susan Septimus
Priti Singh
Abhi Sreerama
Myron & Rowena Steves
Janice Stooksberry
Swati & Friends
Sarah Symecko
Swati & Friends
Kris & Neil Thomas
Tracy V. Wallach
Chris L. West Jr.
Nancy Wilson & John Dickinson
Linda & Richard Zoll
UNDERWRITER
Sally S. Alcorn
Paula Arnold
Rebecca Arnold
Nancy Atlas Jacquelyn Barish
luncheon sponsors
Kathy K. Berkman
Amber Bonner
Claire Brooks
Janet Caldwell
Meryl Cohen
Miles J. Davis
Odus Evbagharu
Erin Willis Farmer
Micah J. Fincher
Claire Liu Greenberg
Alison de Lima Greene
Rhoda Goldberg
Liz Hanks
Julia Pemberton Hellums
Diane S. Kaplan
Kathryn Kase
Elizabeth Kidd
Tammy Kidd
Rebecca Lamb
Laura Lopez
Layne Mason
Laura Clyburn McWilliams
Katherine & John Orton
Dr. Tina Pariani
H. Neal Parker
Beth Peré
Drs. Ben Saldaña & Alicia Kowalchuk
Betsy Schreiber
Hinda Simon
Patricia Caycedo Smith
Nancy P. Thompson
Emily Todd
Kristine & Stephen Wallace
Alison Weaver
Carol Weaver
Katherine Seger Weber
Rochelle White
Carol Wolk
Thank you to our generous vendor sponsors for helping make this luncheon special:
arts project
This year we are thrilled to introduce a new arts project in support of our annual luncheon — a space for hope, rage, strength, and resilience. Through the transformative power of art, we process the shifting landscape for reproductive rights and justice while highlighting the vital health services PPGC provides, from preventive exams and lifesaving cancer screenings to birth control, STI testing and treatment, and genderaffirming hormone therapy.
The exhibit is a powerful reminder of PPGC’s mission to provide health care, education, and advocacy for all. We invite you to explore the artwork next to the check-in stations, where some pieces are available for sale by the artist and a portion of proceeds will benefit PPGC.
FEATURED WORKS:
Finding Pieces of Me by R Babb
The Choice by Eliana Gottlieb
It’s All in the Details by Antonia Lara Sanchez
Our Rights by Loren Siems
Todos by Angel Quesada
AFTERPARTY
After last year’s smashing success, we’re bringing back the official versus afterparty to keep the celebration going after the luncheon! Join us from 2 p.m. onward at Angel Share HTX (924 Congress St.), where a portion of all proceeds will benefit Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast and our mission.
The versus afterparty is an opportunity to extend the spirit of giving, providing extra time and space for meaningful connections and celebration with like-minded supporters as we continue the fight for reproductive freedom in our community. Luncheon tickets are not required to attend the afterparty, and we encourage you to invite your friends and colleagues to raise a glass with us!
our vision
Planned Parenthood seeks a world in which all children are wanted and cared for, all individuals have equal rights and dignity, sexuality is expressed with honesty, equality, and responsibility, and the decision to bear children is private and voluntary.
our mission
The mission of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is to ensure the right and ability of all individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health by providing health services, education, and advocacy. ppgulfcoast.org