The Stephen L. Klineberg Award
The Stephen L. Klineberg Award is given to individuals who have made a lasting impact on Houston by helping make the region more equitable for all. The award is named for the co-founder of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Dr. Stephen L. Klineberg.
Dr. Marc L. Boom (2024) – Dr. Marc L. Boom is the president and CEO of Houston Methodist and was a trailblazer during the COVID-19 pandemic. He prioritized vaccinations to communities that were most vulnerable to the virus, and was the first hospital system CEO in the U.S. to implement a workforce vaccine mandate. He serves on the boards of the Texas Hospital Association and the Greater Houston Partnership, where he is chair of its health care advisory committee.
Sylvester Turner (2023) – Sylvester Turner served as the 62nd mayor of Houston from 2016-2024. He helped lead the city’s recovery from numerous severe weather events, including Hurricane Harvey in 2017. He also helped to navigate a historic pension reform after inheriting $8 billion in projected liabilities over 30 years. He was previously in the Texas House of Representatives for 27 years, serving District 139.
Dr. Anne S. Chao (2022) – Dr. Anne S. Chao, a historian and philanthropist, co-founded the Houston Asian American Archive in 2009. The archive, housed at Rice University, tells the stories of hundreds of Asians and Asian Americans in the Houston community, detailing their challenges and contributions. Chao is an adjunct lecturer in the humanities at Rice and an advisory board member for the School of Humanities. She has also served as a board member for the Kinder Institute for Urban Research; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Houston Ballet; Wellesley College; the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Arts and Science; the Dunhuang Foundation; and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.
Robert Eury (2021) – With a background in urban planning, Robert Eury helped to transform downtown Houston over the course of 38 years as the CEO of the organization formerly known as Central Houston. While under his leadership, downtown experienced momentous economic development and improvements to transportation and homeless housing and services. The organization also played a key role in establishing high-profile landmarks such as Discovery Green, Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center and the Wortham Theater Center. Eury previously served on the advisory board for the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.
Rev. William A. Lawson (2020) – Known as “Houston’s Pastor,” the Rev. William A. Lawson established Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in 1962 and led the Third Ward institution until his retirement in 2004. Lawson was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement and worked to strengthen voting rights, deliver economic justice and end segregation in Houston.
Jeff Hines (2019) – Jeff Hines is the chairman and co-CEO of the global real estate investment firm Hines, headquartered in Houston. He is a member of the board of advisors for Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, the KIPP Academy Trustees Advisory Board and the MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors. He also served on the United Way of Greater Houston’s board of trustees.
Angela Blanchard (2018) – Angela Blanchard was the CEO and president of the nonprofit organization BakerRipley, formerly known as Neighborhood Centers, from 1995 to 2017. She is a disaster recovery expert and has helped steer the Houston area through multiple natural disasters. In 2017, she established a shelter for victims of Hurricane Harvey at the NRG Center. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, she helped lead efforts to provide shelter to evacuees from Louisiana in Houston.
Tom Bacon (2017) – Tom Bacon is a real estate developer and investor in Houston and throughout the U.S. He has served on the advisory board of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the board of Texas Children’s Hospital. Tom is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects and is on the advisory board of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He is also the chairman emeritus of Houston Parks Board, where he helped establish Bayou Greenways 2020, a public-private partnership that created and opened access to 3,000 acres of linear parks and 150 miles of off-road trails.