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| Connie Reeves Cooke has called Houston her home since 1969. A native of Baytown, Texas she graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and attended Lee College for two years before moving to Dallas to attend the Dallas Fashion Merchandising College. After working at the Dallas Apparel Mart for Texas Fashions Magazine, and as fashion coordinator for two Dallas fashion design companies, she returned to Houston to work in the same capacity for Joe Frank, Inc. In 1970, she met the love of her life, Clayton Cooke, and they married in 1973. With Clayton and her three stepsons, she began playing tennis at Lakeside Country Club where, over the years, she won a record nine doubles club championships and earned a state ranking with Clayton in Husband / Wife Doubles. It was also at Lakeside Country Club that she began her involvement in organizing and chairing events when she served on the board of the Lakeside Women’s Association and as president of the Lakeside Ladies Tennis Association. In 1988, she began writing a society column for a statewide tennis newspaper which led to writing a society column she called “Movers and Shapers” for Houston Health & Fitness Magazine. That catapulted her into the social and charity fund-raising scene where she began writing society columns for local and state magazines including L’Entree Magazine, Texas Woman Magazine, Philanthropy in Texas, Sense Magazine, and Smart Set Magazine. She also photographed the events for her columns and did double duty as Fashion Editor for Texas Woman and Smart Set. She also hosted her own society segment on two local television stations. She began chairing charity galas and luncheons which gave her a great sense of satisfaction in giving her time to many outstanding organizations. After attending Rice University to study novel and screenwriting, her love of writing led her to write her first novel, Fade to Dark, a suspense thriller, which was published in 2006. She recently completed her second novel, Cayman Heat, another thriller set in the tropical paradise of Grand Cayman and the elite social stratosphere of Houston's movers and shakers. She is presently writing her third novel, Cayman Wind, a sequel to Cayman Heat. |
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| Photography by Gittings | |||||||||||||||
| Connie has served as chairman for numerous charity events in Houston and will chair the prestigious 2010 Winter Ball. She chaired the 2008 Houston Humane Society Gala, served as Table Favors chairman of the 2008 Winter Ball and served on the Hospitality Committee for the 2008 Symphony Ball. In addition, she chaired the 2007 "Big Beautiful Birdy Ball" benefiting Breakthrough Houston, the 2005 University of Houston Moores School, served as Table Favors Chairman for the 2008 Winter Ball and served on the Hospitality Committee for the 2008 Symphony Ball. In addition, Connie chaired the 2005 University of Houston Moores School of Music Gala, the 1999, 2001 and 2002 Silver Grace Hope Foundation Luncheon, the 2001 Lone Star Wildlife Rescue Evening, the 1999 Trees of Light for The Hospice at the Texas Medical Center, the 1999 Council on Alcohol & Drugs Houston Luncheon, the 1998 Houston Children's Charity Gala, the 1998 Maestro Collection Luncheon benefiting the Houston Symphony League, and the 1996 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Gala. She Co-Chaired the 2006 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Gala, the 2003 Cancer League Luncheon, and the 1998 Symphony Scores Dinner Series, as well as serving as Event Coordinator for the 1998 and 2000 Silver Grace Hope Foundation Luncheon. She served as Auction Vice Chairman for the 1996 "Marvin's Million Dollar Dream" Gala celebrating Marvin Zindler's 75th birthday and benefiting M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for Breast and Prostate Cancer Research, Auction Chairman for the 1996 Hospice at the Texas Medical Center Gala, Auction Chairman for the 1995 March of Dimes Ball, and Auction Co-Chairman for the 1997 Ballet Ball. She also served as Underwriter Dinner Chairman for the 1995 March of Dimes Ball, Table Sales Chairman for the 1999 Houston Children's Charity Gala, Table Sales Chairman for the 1995 Operation Rainbow Gala, Table Sales Chairman for the 2000 Council on Alcohol & Drugs Houston Luncheon, Publicity Chairman for the 2000 Symphony Ball, Special Events Chairman for the 1998 Ballet Ball, a Musician Chairman for the 2006 Symphony Ball, and Publicity Chairman for the 2007 Women's Health Summit Luncheon with Aerin Lauder benefiting the Baylor College of Medicine's Huffington Center on Aging. In 1999 Connie and her husband, Clayton, were named Pacesetters of the Year at Houston's Cancer League Luncheon and were honored with the Alkek Ambassador's Award at the 2007 Cancer League Luncheon. She was also honored as one of "Houston's Ten Elite" at the 1996 Citizens for Animal Protection “Celebrity Paws” Gala. Connie was named a 2006 ABC Channel 13 Woman of Distinction in Houston and was honored at the 2006 Winter Ball. She was named one of H Texas Magazine's 25 Most Beautiful Houstonians of 2008 and will serve as Honorary Chairman of the 2009 Houston Humane Society Gala. Connie serves on the Board of the Houston Humane Society and has served for six years on the Board of the Partnership for Baylor College of Medicine, four of those years on the Partnership's Executive Board and presently serving as Corresponding Secretary. She also served on the 2006-2007 board of the Houston Ballet Guild and serves on the Honorary Advisory Committee of the Cancer League. She is a member of the Houston Ballet Guild, Houston Symphony League, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, the March of Dimes Guild, Children’s Assessment Center Guild, and the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary. She is also a Junior League of Houston Tea Room Patron. Her previous board membershps include Breakthrough Houston, the Executive Committee and Board of the University of Houston Moores School of Music, the Advisory Board of The Council on Alcohol & Drugs Houston, the Executive Board of the Houston Symphony League, and the boards of the March of Dimes Guild, the CCFA/Gulf Coast Chapter, the United Cerebral Palsy Guild, and the Silver Grace Hope Foundation. She is a former member of the International Committee of RodeoHouston. Connie holds a life insurance license and real estate agent license which she uses in assisting her husband in his insurance and financial services business. Her treasured leisure time is spent traveling the world with her husband and spending time at their Lake Travis home in the Texas Hill Country with their family and precious Chihuahua, Baby. |
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