* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:16] RECOGNITION FOR THE SIGNIFICANT WORK THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS. AS YOU MAY KNOW, JONES HALL OPENED TO THE PUBLIC ON OCTOBER 2ND, 1966, WHEN HOUSTON ENDOWMENT PRESENTED THE JESSE H. JONES HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. IN THE AFTERNOON OF THAT DAY, TO A FULL HOUSE OF COMMUNITY LEADERS, PRESS, AND THE WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO HAD BUILT JONES HALL, THE INVOCATION WAS GIVEN, AND MR. JOHN T. JONES SPOKE. THIS IS WHAT HE SAID. "WHILE THIS IS A DAY OF FESTIVE CELEBRATION, I STILL FIND MYSELF A LITTLE NOSTALGIC WHEN I REMEMBER THE MAN AND WOMAN WHO MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE. MORE THAN ANY OTHER OF HIS MANY ACTIVITIES, MY UNCLE LOVED TO BUILD BUILDINGS. "HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE. "AND HE WOULD HAVE DEARLY LOVED TO HAVE BUILT THIS ONE." HE WENT ON TO SAY, "THIS HALL IS GIVEN WITHOUT RESERVATION, TO BE USED AND ENJOYED BY ALL." THAT IS THE WAY MR. JONES WOULD HAVE WANTED IT. WHILE JESSE H. JONES DID NOT LIVE TO SEE THE HALL BUILT, HIS COMMITMENT TO WHAT IT WOULD MEAN CONTINUED ON. 60 YEARS LATER, WE REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO THIS VALUABLE INSTITUTION. IN 2020, WHEN THE STAGES WENT DARK, THE FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL COMPRISED OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RESIDENT COMPANIES, HOUSTON SYMPHONY AND PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON, DECIDED THAT IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO JUST SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC. THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOBILIZE THE SPIRIT OF HOUSTON AND FOCUS THE DESIRE OF ITS CITIZENS AND FOUNDATIONS TO ACT. THUS, OUT OF A TIME OF GREAT UNCERTAINTY, AN EFFORT WAS BORN. AN EFFORT TO FORTIFY AND SUSTAIN A SYMBOL OF THE GREATNESS OF OUR CITY. AND MOBILIZE THEY DID. GENEROUS INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE MAYOR, THE CITY COUNCIL, HOUSTON FIRST AND RESIDENT COMPANIES ALL CONTRIBUTED TIME AND TREASURE TO RALLY BEHIND THIS CAMPAIGN. THE RESULT IS A REVITALIZED JONES HALL, CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING A WIDE VARIETY OF PERFORMANCES, A HALL OUTFITTED WITH THE LATEST PRODUCTION CAPABILITY AND BOLSTERED AGAINST THE MARCH OF TIME SO THAT IT WILL BE AN ENDURING RESOURCE FOR THE ARTS AND WHICH THE ARTS WHICH SO MUCH BRING, BRING SO MUCH TO OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRING ASPECTS OF THIS PROJECT IS THE UNITY IT HAS DISPLAYED. TO SEE THIS MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, NONPROFITS, GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES AND PEOPLE PUSH THIS INCREDIBLY COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT PROJECT OVER THE FINISH LINE FILLS ME WITH PRIDE AND JOY AS WE HOLD UP THIS INSTITUTION AS CENTRAL TO WHAT MAKES US HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PART IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. NOW, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MR. MICHAEL HECKMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION. MICHAEL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP. MORNING EVERYONE. AND BARBARA, THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, YOU KNOW, LISTENING TO THOSE WORDS OF, UH, HOW THIS GRAND HALL CAME TO BE GIVES YOU A GREAT SENSE OF HONOR, UH, FOR US AT HOUSTON FIRST TO BE THE STEWARDS OF THIS FABULOUS BUILDING ON BEHALF OF, OF THE CITY. UM, AND FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO AT HOUSTON FIRST EVERY DAY, UH, IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR PARTNERS, WE COULD NOT DO IT IF IT WEREN'T FOR THE GREAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS [00:05:01] THAT'S BEEN APPOINTED BY MAYOR WHITMEYER. UM, FIRST, UH, THIS MORNING, I WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR BOARD CHAIRMAN, JAY ZEIDMAN. JAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. AND WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL. COULD YOU PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND PLEASE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR, OUR BOARD AT HOUSTON FIRST FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THIS WONDERFUL CITY. UM, IT REALLY IS GREAT TO BE HERE AS WE CELEBRATE TWO IMPORTANT MILESTONES, THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF JONES HALL AND THE COMPLETION OF AN EXTRAORDINARY FIVE-YEAR EFFORT TO READY THIS LANDMARK FOR ITS NEXT CHAPTER FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. I WANNA THANK, START BY THANKING OUR PARTNERS AT THE FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL AND OUR RESIDENT COMPANIES, THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY AND PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON FOR ALL THAT THEY DO AND THEIR CONTINUED COLLABORATION. PLEASE, ROUND OF APPLAUSE. FOR SIX DECADES, JONES HALL HAS BEEN PART OF THE CULTURAL HEARTBEAT OF HOUSTON. SINCE OPENING ITS DOORS IN 1966, THIS STAGE HAS BEEN A PLACE WHERE GENERATIONS OF HOUSTONIANS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE POWER OF LIVE PERFORMANCE SOMETIMES FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME. AND THROUGH ALL OF THOSE YEARS, JONES HALL HAS BEEN MORE THAN A BUILDING. IT'S PART OF HOUSTON'S STORY. IT'S AN INTEGRAL PART OF A THEATER DISTRICT THAT DISTINGUISHES DOWNTOWN IN OUR CITY. IT'S A GATHERING PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER TO EXPERIENCE SOMETHING THAT CAN'T BE REPLICATED ON A SCREEN, THE ENERGY, THE EMOTION, AND CONNECTION THAT ONLY LIVE PERFORMANCE CAN CREATE. AT HOUSTON FIRST, WE HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF OPERATING JONES HALL ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, AS I SAID, AND WITH THAT PRIVILEGE COMES A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE EXCELLENT STEWARDS OF THIS PUBLIC ASSET AND ENSURE IT CONTINUES TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL INTO THE FUTURE. THIS IS WHAT MAKES THIS MOMENT SO SIGNIFICANT. TOGETHER WITH THE FOUNDATION OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE WORKED TO IMPROVE VIRTUALLY EVERY ASPECT OF THE EXPERIENCE. AUDIENCES WILL SEE AND FEEL THE DIFFERENCE THROUGH NEW SEATING AND AISLES, REIMAGINE LOBBY, NEW ELEVATORS, AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS INSIDE. AND BEHIND THE SCENES, WE'VE MADE EQUALLY IMPORTANT INVESTMENTS FROM A COMPLETELY NEW ROOF AND UPDATED HVAC SYSTEMS TO NEW HOUSE LIGHTING, FIRE ALARM IMPROVEMENTS, AND OTHER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE. TAKEN TOGETHER, THESE IMPROVEMENTS REPRESENT SOMETHING MUCH LARGER THAN A REN- RENOVATION. THEY RE- REPRESENT A COMMITMENT TO THE FUTURE. AND NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. AGAIN, WANNA RECOGNIZE THE FOUNDATION AND THE REMARKABLE GENEROSITY OF THE DONORS AND SUPPORTERS THAT MADE THIS TRANSFORMATION POSSIBLE. I ALSO WANNA THANK BOTH OF THE RESIDENT COMPANIES, THEIR BOARDS, THEIR ENTIRE TEAMS THAT PERFORM HERE AND THAT BRING THE BUILDING TO LIFE. THEIR LEADERSHIP IN THIS PROCESS HELPED RAISE MORE THAN THE $67 MILLION, WHICH HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE FEAT. COMPLETING A PROJECT OF THIS MAGNITUDE IS CHALLENGING UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. COMPLETING IT WHILE WORKING TO KEEP JONES HALL AN ACTIVE PERFORMANCE VENUE, HOWEVER, REQUIRES COORDINATION, FLEXIBILITY, AND COMMITMENT. THE RESULT IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF HOUSTON CAN BE PROUD OF. OUR PERFORMING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ENRICH THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. THEY ATTRACT VISITORS. THEY BRING PEOPLE DOWNTOWN. THEY SUPPORT OUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES. THEY HELP US ATTRACT TALENT AND INVESTMENT, AND THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE IDENTITY OF HOUSTON AS A DYNAMIC, CREATIVE, AND GLOBALLY CONNECTED CITY. AS HOUSTON CONTINUES TO GROW AND EVOLVE, INVESTING IN INSTITUTIONS LIKE JONES HALL IS THE TYPE OF INVESTMENT THAT WE WANNA MAKE AS A CITY. TODAY, WE'RE HONORING THE LEGACY OF THIS BUILDING WITHOUT BEING BOUND BY ITS PAST. WE HAVE PRESERVED WHAT GENERATIONS OF HOUSTONIANS HAVE LOVED ABOUT JONES HALL WHILE MAKING THE INVESTMENTS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT IT REMAINS RELEVANT, WELCOMING, AND EXCEPTIONAL FOR GENERATIONS STILL TO COME. 60 YEARS AGO, HOUSTONIANS GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF THIS NEW PERFORMING ARTS HALL AND IMAGINE WHAT IT MIGHT MEAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY. NOW THINK ABOUT THAT. 60 YEARS AGO, ANYBODY IMAGINING WHAT WE HAVE DONE HERE IN THIS CITY COLLECTIVELY TOGETHER AND THE TYPE OF WORLD-CLASS CITY THAT HOUSTON HAS BECOME. TODAY, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO MUCH THE SAME THING. WE CELEBRATE EVERYTHING THAT HAS HAPPENED ON THIS STAGE OVER THE LAST SIX DECADES, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE PERFORMANCES, ARTISTS, AUDIENCES, AND UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS THAT ARE STILL AHEAD. YOU KNOW IT'S A BIG DAY IN HOUSTON, IT'S A BIG CITY, WHEN THE MAYOR SHOWS UP. HE LIKES TO REMIND ME THAT HE GETS MANY, MANY INVITATIONS [00:10:01] TO BE PLACES, BUT HE WANTED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING BECAUSE HE KNEW HOW BIG OF A DEAL IT IS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW TO GET THINGS DONE, TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP, TALK ABOUT MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS, THAT IS MAYOR WHITMEYER. HE RAN ON A CAMPAIGN OF PRINCIPLES AND OF GETTING THINGS DONE AND THROUG HIS FIRST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, WE HAVE HAD A FRONT SEAT AT HOUSTON FIRST FOR SOME, EXACTLY SOME OF THOSE THINGS, AND I KNOW OTHERS OF YOU HAVE AS WELL. YOU KNOW, I GET CALLS FROM HIM AT MANY DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY PUSHING ME ON WHAT WE'RE DOING OR MAYBE WHAT WE'RE NOT DOING THAT CAN MAKE HOUSTON A BETTER PLACE AND A BETTER CITY. HE HAS A REALLY BIG VISION FOR WHAT HE WANTS THIS CITY TO BE. HE WANTS TO SERVE EVERY HOUSTONIAN AND EVERY TALK YOU EVER HEAR HIM GIVE, THAT'S WHAT HE TALKS ABOUT, WHAT IT MEANS TO HOUSTONIANS. WE COULDN'T DO THE WORK THAT WE DO AT HOUSTON FIRST WITHOUT HIS LEADERSHIP, HIS COMMITMENT, AND WHAT HE PROVIDES TO THIS CITY. AND SO IT IS AN HONOR ANYTIME I GET TO INTRODUCE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, JOHN WHITMEYER. THANK YOU, MICHAEL. AND IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE A HOUSTONIAN BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING A STATEMENT TODAY THAT ARTS MAKE A CITY. I WANT YOU TO LEAVE HERE THINKING ABOUT THAT, BUT I KNOW I'M SINGING TO THE CHOIR. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, AS I LOOK AMONG US, IT'S, IT'S INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS, FOUNDATIONS THAT MAKE THIS POSSIBLE AND REALLY GO TO WORK EACH AND EVERY DAY TO HELP MAKE THIS A BETTER CITY. AND BARBARA, WE'RE DOING IT. WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED, NOT ONLY ACROSS OUR GREAT STATE AND NATION, BUT THE WORLD. I WISH I HAD TIME TO TELL YOU SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT HOUSTON FIRST AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS ARE, ARE WORKING ON TO BRING TO HOUSTON. ENTERTAINMENT, BUSINESS, FAMILIES. I MEAN, IT'S REALLY EXCITING. AND LET ME JUST SAY, MOST DAYS I WORK ON PROBLEMS, CHALLENGES, AND LIKE ALL MAJOR CITIES, WE HAVE OUR CHALLENGES, BUT WE'RE ADDRESSING OUR CHALLENGES. AND I DIDN'T COME TO GIVE A STATE OF THE CITY, BUT I AM HERE TO DO A SHOUT OUT FOR THE STATE OF THE ARTS. I DON'T KNOW THAT THE ARTS HAVE BEEN IN A BETTER PLACE IN HOUSTON'S HISTORY, AND I THINK MR. JONES AND HIS FAMILY WOULD BE VERY PROUD OF THE USE OF THEIR, THE STATE AND THEIR ENDOWMENT. THANK YOU TO HOUSTON ENDOWMENT. BUT THERE'S TOO MANY, TOO MANY OF US THAT I WOULD HAVE TO START RECOGNIZING. ROBERT, THANK YOU, MR. EUBANKS, FOR THE OUTSTANDING JOB YOU DO TO OVERSEE THIS GREAT VENUE. AS SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN HOUSTON, I ACTUALLY FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE THERE WAS A JONES HALL. SO I'VE WATCHED AND WITNESSED PARTICIPATED IN ITS SUCCESS. AND ISN'T IT AMAZING THAT IT DIDN'T TAKE GOVERNMENT TO MOVE IN TO RESTORE JONES HALL? IT WAS A PUBLIC PRIVATE SECTOR. AND SO THANK YOU TO SO MANY OF YOU. YOU SHOULD BE PROUD. IT SHOULD MOTIVATE YOU TO DO MORE. IT CERTAINLY INSPIRES ME. THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR THE MAYOR TO START THE WEEK. BECAUSE AS I SAID, I DEAL WITH PROBLEMS. THERE IS NOTHING HERE FOR ME TO FIX. I'M RECRUITING YOU TO HELP ME FIX OUR OTHER CHALLENGES. AND AS I SAID, THE ARTS MAKE A CITY, AND I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS VERIFICATION. WHEN I WAS WITH LOCH LORD ACROSS THE STREET, MAJOR LAW FIRM, I HELPED THEM WITH THEIR RECRUITING. AND SOME OF OUR TOP LEGAL GRADUATES, [00:15:01] TOP SCHOOLS ARE BEING RECRUITED ACROSS OUR NATION AND CAN GO ANYWHERE. ONE OF THE INQUIRIES BY THE GRADUATES OF YALE, HARVARD, I AIN'T GONNA START NAMING, I'LL LEAVE OUT SOME GREAT SCHOOLS, THEY WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE ARTS. THAT'S PROFOUND. AND SO WE CAN ANSWER WITH SUCH A POSITIVE TONE. YOU'RE GONNA BE IMPRESSED WITH HOUSTON'S COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS. SO TODAY IS QUITE FRANKLY, A CELEBRATION. AND LIKE I SAID, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO NAME EVERYONE, BUT YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, YOU KNOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES. COUNCILMAN CASTILLO AND MARTINEZ AND TWALA CARTER, WE'RE HERE TO PARTNER WITH YOU. SO LIKE I SAID, I'M GONNA LEAVE HERE A BETTER MAYOR THAN THE ONE THAT GOT HERE BECAUSE I'M FIRED UP. AND I WANT YOU TO SHARE IN THAT ENERGY BECAUSE WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT, BUT WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED. WE GOTTA GET PREPARED AND WE'RE DOING IT HERE. AND WHERE BARBARA CALLED IT UNITY, CERTAINLY I CALL IT COLLABORATION. THERE'S SO MANY OF OUR CHALLENGES WE'RE ADDRESSING THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE INSTITUTIONS, THE FOUNDATIONS, ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT. IF YOU WANNA WORK TO IMPROVE HOUSTON, THAT'S, THAT'S WHO WE WANNA HEAR FROM. AND YOU'RE MAKING A STATEMENT TODAY THAT WE'RE ALL IN UNITY AND COLLABORATION FOR THIS GREAT CITY'S FUTURE. THANK Y'ALL FOR HAVING ME. AND I FORGOT WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO. I GET KINDA CARRIED AWAY. THEREFORE, I, JOHN WHITMEYER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 5TH, 2026 IS JONES, JESSE H. JONES HALL FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ACROSS THIS GREAT CITY WITH A PROCLAMATION. THANK Y'ALL. BARBARA. PLEASE WELCOME GARY GINSLING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO, HOUSTON SYMPHONY, TO BE FOLLOWED BY MEG BOOTH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON. GOOD MORNING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. IT, IT IS GREAT TO SEE ALL OF YOU. OF ALL THE PEOPLE WHO YOU ARE GONNA BE HEARING FROM THIS MORNING, UM, I AM PROBABLY THE LEAST DESERVING OF BEING HERE TALKING TO YOU. I JUST ARRIVED IN HOUSTON ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UH, AND I AM GETTING TO ENJOY THE BENEFIT OF THE INCREDIBLE FUNDRAISING AND THE VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF, OF JONES HALL THAT SO MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAVE MADE HAPPEN. SO, UH, AND, AND I GUESS MAYBE THAT'S WHY I GET THE SLOT SPEAKING AFTER MAYOR WHITMEYER. UM, MAYOR, I REALLY WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE WORDS OF, OF SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS. UH, I, I KNOW THAT YOU ALSO RECENTLY NAMED MICHELLE LIAL AS THE DIRECTOR OF YOUR OFFICE OF THE ARTS. MICHELLE, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. ALL OF THIS REALLY IS, IS AN INDICATION OF HOW MUCH YOU CARE ABOUT THE ARTS. AND WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL THE COMPLEXITIES THAT YOU FACE IN, IN LEADING THIS AMAZING CITY, UM, IT IS SO MEANINGFUL TO ME AND ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES AT THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY THAT YOU ARE HERE AND THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT A STRONG ARTS COMMUNITY IS GOOD FOR THE CITY. IT'S GOOD FOR DOWNTOWN HOUSTON. IT IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS. I KNOW A RECENT STUDY BY THE HOUSTON ARTS ALLIANCE SAID THAT THE ARTS CONTRIBUTE OVER $1.3 BILLION IN EXPENDITURES. THAT'S THE MOST OF ANY CITY IN TEXAS. SO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, FOR ALL YOU DO FOR THE ARTS. I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK MICHAEL HECKMAN AND EVERYONE AT THE HOUSTON FIRST CORPORATION FOR BEING SUCH GREAT PARTNERS. YOU KNOW, I HAVE WORKED FOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CITIES, NEW YORK, WASHINGTON DC, INDIANAPOLIS, CLEVELAND, SAN FRANCISCO, AND NOWHERE HAVE I SEEN CITY LEADERSHIP, THE DESTINATION MARKETING ENTITY AND THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS COMING TOGETHER IN SUCH AN INTEGRATED AND, AND COLLABORATIVE WAY. SO MICHAEL, THANK YOU TO YOU AND, AND YOUR AMAZING TEAM. BARBARA MCKELVEY FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND, AND EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL AND THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY AND THE MANY AMAZING DONORS WHO HAVE, HAVE MADE THIS PROJECT POSSIBLE. YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE FOUNDATION FOR JONES HALL WAS FOUNDED BACK IN 1986 BY THE TWO RESIDENT COMPANIES, THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY AND PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON. AND THE GOAL WAS TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS [00:20:01] OF THE HALL AND ALSO TO FUNDRAISE TO ENSURE THAT THIS HALL REMAINED STATE OF THE ART. NOW I'LL ADMIT, A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WHEN I WAS GETTING TO KNOW THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY AND JONES HALL, I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND THE SYMPHONY'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE HALL. WE'RE A TENANT, WE'RE A RESIDENT COMPANY, AND THE CITY OWNS THE VENUE. AND THEN I LEARNED, OH, BY THE WAY, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR FRIENDS AT PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON TO RAISE OVER $60 MILLION TO RENOVATE THIS BUILDING. AND I HAVE TO ADMIT, I, THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF HEAD SCRATCHING. WE'RE THE TENANTS. WHY ARE WE THE ONES SPENDING THE MONEY? UH, BUT THEN I QUICKLY CAME TO LEARN IT WAS BECAUSE OF, OF THE COLLABORATIVE APPROACH THAT THE MAYOR SPOKE ABOUT AND THE INTEGRATED APPROACH, UM, HERE IN HOUSTON. AND IT WAS CLEAR TO ME THAT OUR ORGANIZATIONS AND OUR SUPPORTERS UNDERSTOOD DECADES AGO THAT INVESTING IN JONES HALL MEANT INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF THE ARTS IN THIS CITY. AND TO ME, THAT, IT REALLY IS AN EXTRAORDINARY EXPRESSION OF, OF CIVIC PRIDE AND COMMITMENT. AND YES, JONES HALL OPENED 60 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, BUT I THOUGHT TO PUT A FOCUS ONTO WHAT THIS VENUE MEANS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND TO THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY, I'M GONNA FOCUS ON JUST THE LAST FEW MONTHS, UH, TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE THROUGH THE LENS OF THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY. A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE OPENED OUR SEASON WITH A CONCERT RIGHT HERE ON THIS STAGE, UH, WITH THE GREAT ACTOR, MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY, CELEBRATING OUR, OUR NEW SEASON. WE STARTED THE EVENING IN THE BEAUTIFUL NEW VENUE ACROSS THE STREET IN LYNN WYATT SQUARE. THE NIGHT BEFORE THAT PERFORMANCE, WE HELD OUR ANNUAL FIESTA SYMPHONICA CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WITH OVER 2,000 PEOPLE ATTENDING THAT FREE CONCERT. THIS WAS THE 38TH YEAR, AND THANKS TO EVERYONE AT CHEVRON FOR MAKING THAT EVENT POSSIBLE. TWO WEEKS AGO, WE BE- BEGAN OUR SCHOOL CONCERT SERIES RIGHT HERE IN THE HALL, UH, SEEN THIS HALL FILLED WITH STUDENTS, ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM HISD. LAST YEAR, OVER 60,000 STUDENTS HEARD THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY HERE IN JONES HALL. WE SHOWCASED MARIACHI STAR PEPI AGUILAR, INDIAN LEGEND, A.R. RAHMAN, INDIE SINGER-SONGWRITER, BEN RECTOR, BROADWAY STAR ADINA MENZEL. WE CELEBRATED TINA TURNER, AND THIS PAST WEEKEND WE OPENED OUR SEASON WITH, UH, THE BEGINNING OF A TWO-WEEK RACHMANINOFF FESTIVAL. WE ARE TRYING TO PLAY MUSIC THAT REACHES AS MANY PEOPLE IN THIS CITY AS POSSIBLE. LAST SEASON, THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY SERVED OVER 380,000 PEOPLE, MOSTLY RIGHT HERE IN THIS INCREDIBLE VENUE, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE INVESTMENT IN JONES HALL SO MEANINGFUL TO ME. THIS, UH, RENOVATION HAS CERTAINLY TRANSFORMED THE ACOUSTICS OF JONES HALL. UM, WE ARE FINALLY ABLE TO SAY THAT THE WORLD-CLASS ORCHESTRA WE HAVE HAS A WORLD-CLASS HOME ACOUSTICALLY. AND I HAVE TO SAY, IF- IF YOU WANT AN EXAMPLE OF THAT, COME HEAR THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY PLAY AT RAHMANAF THIS WEEKEND. UH, RAHMAN ANOFF IS THE MOST GLORIOUS, LUSH, ROMANTIC COMPOSER, AND HEARING THE ORCHESTRA PLAY RACHMANINOFF, I THINK ANYONE WHO HEARS THAT AND IS IN THIS ROOM THIS WEEKEND WILL- WILL KNOW WHAT WE MEAN BY THE TRANSFORMED ACOUSTICS HERE IN- IN JONES HALL. THE PATRON AMENITIES, WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE NEW LOCKER ROOMS, MUCH DESERVED LOCKER ROOMS FOR OUR MUSICIANS, UH, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS REFRESHED SPACE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY TO ENJOY LIVE SYMPHONIC MUSIC WITH THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY. FOR SIX DECADES, GENERATIONS OF HOUSTONIANS HAVE BEEN COMING TO THIS HALL TO EXPERIENCE MUSIC, DANCE, THEATER, PERFORMANCES. IT HAS BEEN A GATHERING PLACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND A STAGE FOR ARTISTS AROUND THE WORLD. AND THANKS TO THE COLLECTIVE EFFORTS OF SO MANY, WE NOW HAVE A RENEWED HOME FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS. SO TODAY, WE'RE NOT JUST CELEBRATING THE CONCLUSION OF A RENOVATION, BUT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CHAPTER FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO HELP MAKE OUR CITY SO VIBRANT. THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING IT POSSIBLE, AND I'LL INVITE MY FRIEND, MEG BOOTH, TO THE STAGE. THANK YOU ALL. UM, GOOD MORNING. IT'S WONDERFUL TO BE WITH YOU. I AM CEO OF PERFORMING ARTS HOUSTON, AND WE HAVE BEEN HONORED, UH, TO BRING ARTISTS IN EVERY DISCIPLINE HERE TO HOUSTON, TO JONES HALL AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, FOR THE LAST 60 YEARS. AND WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE STEWARDSHIP AND GENEROSITY OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AND WHO HAVE COME BEFORE US. UM, AS HAS BEEN STATED, JONES HALL IS ACTUALLY THE CORNERSTONE OF THE HOUSTON THEATER DISTRICT, AND EVEN AS FAR BACK AS 1910, WHEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON ONLY HAD 45,000 PEOPLE IN IT, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS BEEN THE EPICENTER OF HOUSTON'S CULTURAL LIFE. AND IF YOU LOOK AT A FEW OF OUR PIONEERS IN THIS CITY, UM, THE CULTURAL PIONEER, EDNA SAUNDERS, UM, THE BUILDER, [00:25:01] JESSE H. JONES, UM, THEY KNEW THAT THE HOUSTON OF TODAY WAS POSSIBLE, BUT THEY ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT A GROWING CITY NEEDED CULTURE. IT NEEDED EXTRAORDINARY ARTISTS, IT NEEDED EVENTS, AND IT NEEDED THE EXTRAORDINARY ARCHITECTURE THAT WOULD BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. AND WITH THIS CULTURE, A CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTRACT TALENT AND KEEP TALENT HERE TO CONTINUE BUILDING THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE. AND JONES HALL WAS THE VENUE THAT GAVE THIS VISION A REALITY. SO FROM ITS DEDICATION IN 1966, THIS HALL HAS BELONGED TO EVERY CITIZEN THAT IS HERE IN HOUSTON. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS SPACE, YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THE PEOPLE, AS GARY MENTIONED, THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS SPACE, CHILDREN EXPERIENCING THEIR FIRST PERFORMANCE, FAMILIES WHO ARE BUILDING TRADITIONS TOGETHER, PEOPLE WHO ARRIVE AFTER A LONG DAY TO LET ART CARRY THEM TO A DIFFERENT PLACE, EVEN, AND WE KNOW A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE ON OUR BOARD, COUPLES WHO HAVE COME HERE ON THEIR FIRST DATES AND EVENTUALLY BEEN MARRIED. IN THIS SPACE, WE SIT SHOULDER TO SHOULDER. WE MAY COME AS FRIENDS OR AS STRANGERS, BUT THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE HAVE TOGETHER GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE JOY TOGETHER. MAYBE WE CRY, MAYBE WE ALL STAND UP AND APPLAUD TOGETHER, AND IT'S THOSE EXPERIENCES THAT BECOME CONVERSATION, THEY BECOME INSPIRATION, THEY GIVE US A SENSE OF BELONGING, AND DEFINITELY A SENSE OF COMMUNITY. AND A STORY THAT I WANNA TELL, SOMETIMES YOU DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF SOMETHING UNTIL IT'S BEEN TAKEN AWAY. IN THIS VERY SPACE, IF YOU LOOK AND THINK ABOUT THE PROMISE THAT IS BEHIND ME OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT CAN HAPPEN, YOU WILL ALL REMEMBER JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT THE CURTAIN DOWN, AND I LIVE IN THE HEIGHTS. I ACTUALLY USED TO JUMP ON MY BIKE AND BIKE DOWN TO JONES HALL TO PICK UP THE MAIL, AND THE ONLY PERSON IN THE ENTIRE BUILDING WAS THE SECURITY GUARD THAT WOULD GREET ME, AND I WOULD WALK ACROSS THE STAGE, AND A TRADITION IN THEATER AND EVERY EMPTY STAGE IS A GHOST LIGHT, AND THERE WOULD BE ONE BARE LIGHT BULB ON THIS STAGE ILLUMINATING THE WAY FOR WHOEVER WANTED TO BE HERE. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW SOUL-CRUSHING IT WAS TO STAND IN THIS SPACE ALL ALONE AND ONLY HEAR ECHOES AND NOT KNOW WHEN WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO BRING THIS HALL BACK TO LIFE AGAIN. IT WAS REALLY SAD, BUT TODAY, THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, THANK- THANKS TO THE STEWARDSHIP OF OUR CITY OFFICIALS, OF THE ADMINISTRATORS THAT BRING THIS SPACE TO LIFE, OF THE EXTRAORDINARY DONORS THROUGHOUT HOUSTON WHO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF A SPACE AND OF ARCHITECTURE, UM, TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, TO GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND TO BUILD HISTORY, WE KNOW THAT THIS SPACE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THOSE THINGS FOR 60 YEARS TO COME. AND SO, MAY THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE TODAY AND ALL OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW US CONTINUE TO FIND PRIDE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, GRATITUDE FOR OUR HISTORY THAT HAS MADE ALL OF THIS POSSIBLE, AND THE JOY THAT JONES, THAT JONES HALL BRINGS US, UM, BRINGS US TOGETHER AND IN APPRECIATION OF THE ARTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MEG AND GARY, AND THANK YOU, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND OUR PARTNERS WITH HOUSTON FIRST. WHERE ARE YOU, MICHAEL? I AM SO PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY TO SHARE IN THIS CELEBRATION WITH ALL OF YOU. YOU S - YOU ARE SEEING MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS COME TOGETHER TO HONOR A TRUE TREASURE OF OUR CITY. I HOPE THAT THE JOY THAT WILL RESULT FROM THIS TEAMWORK IS FELT BY YOU ALL AND OUR CITY AT LARGE. A LOT OF WORK HAS BED - BEEN DONE. NOW WE GO ABOUT THE WORK OF CONTINUING TO PROGRAM JONES HALL AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE TO COME AND ENJOY THIS VENUE. IN CLOSING, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER YOU A TOUR OF THE IMPROVEMENTS. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AFTERWARDS, PLEASE MEET OUT IN THE LOBBY AND WE WILL CONNECT YOU WITH A GUIDE, BUT WE HAVE TO END WITH MUSIC, DON'T WE? YES. SO I AM PROUD TO INTRODUCE THE TRUMPET SECTION FROM THE HOUSTON. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.