VIPs Alight to Celebrate CityBook's 'Leaders & Legends' at Sunny Schmooze

A WHO'S WHO of Houstonians — from the arts, big business, the media, philanthropy, pro sports and much more — came together to celebrate CityBook and Gittings Photography’s 2022 “Leaders & Legends” portrait series, presented in partnership with Residences at The Allen and Bentley Houston.

The annual event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, so the VIP guests were thrilled to gather in person for the occasion, in Residence’s at The Allen’s sunny hospitality space, in the shadow of its rising hotel and condominium tower. Along with CityBookExecutive Publisher Lisa Holthouse and Editor Jeff Gremillion, The Allen developer Roberto Contreras, himself among the Leaders & Legends honored, welcomed guests with warm remarks.

Many other honorees, all of whom were featured in the magazine’s mid-spring issue, were also on hand, including Astros owner Jim Crane, society doyenne Hallie Vanderhider, fundraising legend Carolyn Farb, popular locavore restaurateurs Benjy Levit and Aaron Lyons, noted gallerist Mimi Sperber-Wasserberg of Off the Wall and Marilyn Oshman, founder of the Orange Show organization and the Art Car Parade.

China and Roberto Contreras IV

Lisa Holthouse and Ray Childress

Page Parkes

Connor Walsh and Chae Eun Yang

Vanessa Barrow

Hallie Vanderhider, Fady Armanious and Ally Shell

Lucinda Loya and Felicia Stone

Randy Hale, Michael Holthouse, Kim and Dan Moody

Aaron and Stefanie Lyons

Amanda Mills and Mark Sullivan

Josh and Trisha Weisman

Carolyn Farb and Danny Nguyen

Katelyn Leonard and Jack Vielhauer

Demola the Violinist and Bianca Bucaram

Leslie Siller and Cheryl Byington

Roberto Contreras

Mario Gudmundsson and Marcelo Saenz

Hamilton Rowan and Mimi Sperber-Wasserberg

Karen deGeurin and Peter Remington

Bentleys on display

Kathy Flanagan and Lloyd Gite

Leisa Holland Nelson and Marilyn Oshman

Franklin and Cindi Rose

Chris Hendel and Beth Wolff

Lisa Gochman, Chloe Dao and Lindsey Word

Todd Ramos

Leaders & Legends is an annual portrait series that seeks to honor both icons of the city, responsible for its growth and prominence, as well as Houston’s current leaders, charting the path forward.

Guests enjoyed fun, fabulous treats from Monarch Hospitality including lobster “corn dogs,” timber-smoked Wagyu carpaccio under glass, caviar “twinkies,” foie gras and cognac mousse served in little ice cream cones and adult Cosmopolitan popsicles. DJ TK kept the scene lively.

Father-and-son UH basketball coaches Kelvin and Kellen Sampson were also among the community luminaries featured in the 2022 “Leaders & Legends” collection.