The Community Foundation hosts its 15th annual Tribute Luncheon in April to honor the contributions of this year’s honorees and to lift up the virtue of giving back. There are always three honorees — some years, including this one, a couple is honored as one individual. The 2019 honorees include two couples and one individual: Pat Allen and Don Rice, Tom Wilkinson, and Kay and Britt Rice.
To commemorate these generous individuals and 16 years of selfless service in the Brazos Valley, the Tribute Luncheon will take place on Thursday, April 25, at 11:30am at the College Station Hilton.
“The Community Foundation was founded in 2003 by a visionary group of local citizens who wanted to create a community resource that would benefit the needs of the Brazos Valley,” says Patricia Gerling, president of the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley. “The idea behind this was that by pooling our resources today, we could preserve the quality of life we enjoy for tomorrow’s generations.”
The Foundation serves as a trusted community partner for charitable giving, explains Gerling.
“We live, work, play, and pray here — and we want to give here as well,” says Gerling. “The Foundation exists to establish and manage charitable endowments [to benefit] nonprofits, charities, scholarships, ... and community grants for the Brazos Valley.”
The Foundation and luncheon are entirely volunteer driven, from community volunteers to the board of trustees.
“The Tribute Luncheon is one of my favorite events in the community,” says Molly Watson, chair of the Tribute Luncheon. “It’s the reason the Community Foundation has over 85 funds and assets in excess of $8 million that allow it to touch almost every nonprofit in the Brazos Valley.”
Proceeds from the Tribute Luncheon support the Foundation’s year-round administrative operations, Watson explains. This enables the Foundation’s donor funds to go directly to nonprofits and other endowments that support important quality of life needs within the community.
The board of trustees, consisting of 15 individuals who believe in the mission of the Community Foundation, make the decisions on the honorees with additional input from prior Tribute Luncheon honorees and community volunteers, says Gerling.
The Community Foundation, Tribute Luncheon, and five honorees this year embody the values of compassion and sacrificial giving for the greater good.
“I love chairing the Luncheon because I really enjoy the inspiring stories of the community philanthropists — they deserve to be celebrated,” says Watson.
Indeed, the dynamic honorees of the Tribute Luncheon have given generously of their time, talents, and resources, impacting quality of life in the Brazos Valley in support of a better community.
In regards to future goals for the Luncheon, Watson says she wants more exposure to the youth of the community, so they can hear the stories of the honorees and potentially be moved to action. “Giving becomes a habit, and the earlier you can establish that habit, it will be a lifetime of giving,” she says.
The ultimate goal of the Community Foundation is to pay it forward for the future advancement of the Brazos Valley. This is made possible through the generosity of donors.
“Whether you want to contribute a small gift or a significant endowment, or to plan for the future to give a gift through your will or estate, the Community Foundation offers a wonderful way to ensure a legacy of giving to benefit the Brazos Valley,” says Gerling.
Three levels of sponsorship for the Luncheon are available: table sponsorships start at $1,400, couple sponsorships are $350, and individual luncheon reservations are $60.
For more information on the Tribute Luncheon and reservations, the Community Foundation, or sponsorship options, contact Patricia Gerling at president.cfbv@gmail.com or (979) 589-4305, or visit www.cfbv.org/Events/TributeLuncheon.
Meet the Honorees Biographies courtesy of The Community Foundation; Photos by Igor Kraguljac
Dr. Don Rice
Don Rice was born into a West Texas farm family. Education had little meaning to him and he dropped out of high school as a sophomore. He later moved to the oil patch in Odessa where he served an apprenticeship and became a journeyman electrician. He was subsequently hurt in an accident and could not work for almost a year.
While incapacitated, the Lord called him to teach. He said, “Lord, you have the wrong guy. I never liked school, neither did I like my teachers; surely there must be something else I can do.” But, the Lord prevailed and Don started a long journey by getting a GED and enrolling at Odessa Junior College. Amazed — he fell in love with learning, so much that he spent the next eight years attending various universities while working to support a wife and three children. When he received his doctoral degree from the University of Missouri — Columbia, his oldest daughter was 13. When people asked, “Honey, what does your daddy do?” She would say, “I don’t know, he goes to school.”
In 1969 he joined the faculty of the college of engineering at Texas A&M University and developed the nationally recognized industrial distribution program. Don is a prolific researcher and writer of books and published articles. He is widely recognized throughout the United States, Canada, and parts of Europe as an expert in his field. Additionally, Don has always been a business man. He owns, or has owned, and operated numerous businesses including consulting, construction, maintenance, publishing, and distributors of industrial equipment and supplies.
As a philanthropist, he is a supporter of local organizations that provide for the needs of orphaned and otherwise disadvantaged youth such as Still Creek Ranch, Miracle Farm, and others. He supports the work of Mission Dignity, which provides funds for widows of retired pastors who had little or no retirement income. He also supports the mission work of the Baptist General Convention of Texas that brings people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He also supports groups that drill water wells for needy people in Africa and those that provide relief for people affected by national disasters. Don is a Legacy Member of the Texas A&M Foundation and has established endowed scholarship programs at three different universities.
Don has been an active Bible teacher, having taught Bible study groups for more than 50 years. Don believes that taking care of the less fortunate should be done to glorify God. He says, “God has been so very good to me. I just want to honor and glorify Him in all that I do.”
Pat Allen Rice Bryan native Pat Allen Rice has spent a lifetime in service to the community she loves. She graduated from Bryan High, attended Vanderbilt University, and graduated from TCU. She taught in Bryan schools for 12 years while earning a master’s degree from Texas A&M. Her education and life experiences prepared her for a lifetime of public service. Along the way she married C.J. Allen, also an Aggie. They owned the Oldsmobile, Cadillac, and Honda automotive dealerships in Bryan. Pat and her son John still own and are actively involved in the operation of the Honda dealership located in College Station. Following C.J.’s death in 2003, Pat married Dr. Don Rice, a business man and retired Texas A&M professor, in 2011.
For more than 50 years, Pat has worked quietly and tirelessly for the betterment of the Bryan College Station area. She served as president of the Woman’s Club, presided over the Bryan Public Library Board, was a charter member of the Junior League of Bryan College Station, and oversaw the acquisition of the land and construction of the Texas A&M chapter of the Chi Omega sorority house.
Pat believes in “paying it forward” by using whatever talents we have to enrich the lives of those in the B/CS community. Pat served as a member of the board of directors of the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra and has sponsored a golf tournament for the past five years as a fundraiser for the symphony. She has also been a benefactor for MSC OPAS for more than 25 years.
The Rotary Club named her a Paul Harris Fellow for her many civic endeavors and the Bryan ISD Foundation inducted Pat and five others into the Hall of Honor, which recognizes graduates of Bryan schools who have distinguished themselves and have brought honor and positive recognition to the school district and community.
In 2017, the B/CS Prenatal Clinic honored Pat for her support of accessible and affordable pregnancy care and health education for expectant mothers. That same year, Pat was awarded the distinguished “William Booth Award” by the Salvation Army in appreciation for the work she did 10 years earlier, starting a Salvation Army Auxiliary. It has now grown to more than 100 current members.
Pat has deep ties to Texas A&M. She is a legacy member of the Texas A&M Foundation, supports the 12th Man Foundation, and has provided endowed scholarships for the Corps of Cadets, the Mays School of Business, and the College of Education.
Pat has also provided statuary in the World War II section of Veterans Park in honor of her late husband, C.J. Allen who fought in WWII. She is currently providing funds for the Fun for All Playground in College Station.
Kay and Britt Rice
Kay and Britt Rice are hometown heroes to many in the Bryan College Station community. One does not have to look beyond a local hospital, Texas A&M University, the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library, or to countless nonprofits to understand why.
Kay and Britt met on a blind date in San Marcos, and married just six months later when Kay was 19 and Britt was 23. Kay holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in business and English. Britt studied industrial technology at Texas A&M, class of 1974. Britt’s career began working part-time during his senior year at Texas A&M; whereas Kay taught seventh grade English/language arts and journalism in College Station schools for 11 years. Britt’s part-time work developed into Britt Rice Electric, which today employs more than 275 electricians, which includes 15 master electricians, 75 journeymen, and 100 apprentice/helpers.
Kay’s community service began with Junior League, where she served in numerous leadership roles, including as co-chair of Junior League’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, featuring former First Lady Barbara Bush. She has been active with the Bryan College Station Woman’s Club, Twin City Mission, Meals on Wheels, George Bush Presidential Library Director’s Circle, and served on the board of Junior League, Brazos Beautiful, St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, and the Texas A&M Health Science Center Foundation, to name a few. One of Kay’s joys is hosting annual gatherings at their party barn for the Texas A&M women’s basketball team and fans.
In 1973, Britt started Britton Manufacturing, a company that manufactured and sold electrical meat tenderization machines all around the world. As the company progressed into electrical and construction projects, Britt Rice Electric was born in 1975. Expansions of the Britt Rice Electrical Apprentice Program and Integrated Electrical Services began in 1991 and 1999, respectively. These expansions provided high-quality training and experienced workmanship for hundreds in the community, as well as computer programming technologies for domestic and international electrical contractors. Britt has served as a board member of the College Station Development Foundation, Brazos County Industrial Foundation, and Texas A&M 12th Man Foundation, among other organizations.
Together, Kay and Britt Rice have given their time and talents to better the community. Through the doors of the Kay and Britt Rice Outpatient Rehabilitation Center at CHI St. Joseph, lives are changed and made stronger. For more than 10 years, the Kay and Britt Rice Endowed Lecture Series at the George Bush Presidential Library engaged young and old alike with inspirational speakers who have changed the world. Through the Kay and Britt Rice ’74 “Respect” door at the Memorial Student Center at Texas A&M, students see the couple’s visible contribution and passion for education.
The Rice’s generous contributions have bettered nonprofits all across the Brazos Valley. From the Children’s Museum of the Brazos Valley, new homes for community members at Habitat for Humanity, Fun for All Playground, the restored Queen Theater, MSC OPAS, the American Heart Association, and Surviving & Thriving Breast Cancer Awareness, the Rices’ commitment to helping others and improving the quality of life in the community is remarkable.
Kay and Britt live in College Station and have twin boys, Jason and Justin. Justin and his wife, Ashley, have four children: Henry, Lexi, and twins Stephen and Philip. With their life’s career bringing light to edifices, the Community Foundation celebrates Kay and Britt as shining lights in the community — making the Brazos Valley a better place for all.
Tom Wilkinson
Tom Wilkinson holds many titles, but Mayor of Snow Village may be the most unique of them all. Tom has a collection of snow villages he shares with community members throughout the year. These special and delicate villages glow with interest and bring joy to all who see them. Tom’s collection is just one of the many ways he has brought joy to the community.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Arts from Texas Tech University and a Master of Public Administration from Texas A&M University. After serving as president of the Burleson County Savings Association from 1981 to 1991, Tom moved into the role as assistant executive director of the Brazos Valley Council of Governments. In 1993, he became executive director of the Brazos Valley COG and currently holds the position.
In this strategic leadership role, Tom represents the community in local, regional, state, and national organizations, affiliations, and initiatives. As executive director, he oversees 11 planning and direct services programs and five nonprofit organizations funded through more than 80 grants. Tom diligently leads more than 90 employees in the areas of HIV/health services, workforce solutions, and public safety planning, to name a few.
With vision and determination, Tom created a rural broadband network, as well as implemented a regional geographic information systems program to provide local entities with visual references for spatial data. In 1992, Tom founded the Brazos Valley Affordable Housing Corporation, a nonprofit, to provide down payment assistance, home repair, affordable new home construction, and rental opportunities to numerous residents. Along with four local banks who provided start-up capital, he founded the Brazos Valley Community Development Corporation to provide mortgage loans for Brazos Valley community members.
Beyond government entities, Tom has volunteered for United Way, Project Unity, and Special Olympics, and served as past-president of the Arts Council of the Brazos Valley. Tom generously provided office space for the Community Foundation when it was established in 2003. As president of the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce, Tom worked alongside others to establish the renowned Kolache Festival.
He currently serves on the advisory board of Texas A&M School of Public Health and as a member of the board of directors of the Methodist Children’s Home of Waco. Tom Wilkinson’s passion for the community extends beyond career and daily life, into the heart of his character and love for others.
Tom Wilkinson lives in College Station and has three grown children — a daughter, Sarah Wilkinson, and son, Jared Wilkinson, who are both attorneys, and a daughter, Kalie Litton, who is a juvenile psychologist. Kalie and her husband, Chris, are the parents of Tom’s two beloved grandchildren, Aubrey and Brice.
Tom is a proven community leader and ethical business director. His devotion to the betterment of the citizens and their pathways are impactful and inspirational to everyone. The Community Foundation celebrates Tom as a true public servant who represents the best of the community and pays tribute to him as a 2019 Community Foundation Tribute Luncheon honoree.
