2024 Board Of Directors
History
Our 2024 Nominated Slate of Officers
Kathleen Jordan
President
Kathleen moved to Kingwood with her three siblings from Buffalo, New York in 1978. She met her future husband, Todd, in sixth grade at Kingwood Middle School. Their son, Luke, attends St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
She earned her B.S. Degree from the University of Houston, then took a job at Administaff/Insperity, where she learned all aspects of running a successful small business. She explained benefits plans, processed payroll, and eventually became one of the company`s Strategic Alliance Specialists. In that role, she saw firsthand the adverse impact government restraints and requirements have on a small-business.
Retired from the corporate world, Kathleen served as KARW`s Treasurer, Awards & Scholarships Chair, and is now our 1 st V.P. and Programs Chair. She comes by her commitment to volunteering from both her mother and mother-in-law. Her mother cared for new mothers and infants for thirty years at Northeast Memorial Medical Center. Her mother-in-law, with a group of friends, started our Republican Women Chapter in Kingwood in 1979. For St. Martha`s Catholic church, Kathleen taught Sunday school and serves as Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Kathleen handily won KARWs Outstanding Member award this year.
Holly Ham
1st VP PROGRAMS
Holly Ham has been a residence of the Lake Houston area since July 2021. A corporateexecutive and former U.S. Government official, Ms. Ham has 29 years of experience in the private and public sectors. Ms. Ham’s experience includes senior executive roles in three federal agencies within the Executive Branch of the federal government.
Her work involved serving the American people under President Trump in areas including, education, commerce, housing, and civil rights. In the private sector, Ms. Ham focused on customers’ mission and business needs across many industries utilizing technology as an enabler for organizational transformation.
Due to political turmoil and the discrimination of ethnic Chinese in Saigon after the fall of South Vietnam, Ms. Ham and her family emigrated from Vietnam – uncertain of their future – in 1979. Within 6 months, Ms. Ham (at the age of 7) and her family settled in America – a dream come true for these immigrants from a war-torn nation. Ms. Ham went to public schools in Pasadena, Texas and graduated from Sam Rayburn H.S. in 1990. Ms. Ham is a graduate of the University of Houston, where she received both her Bachelor (1994) and Master of Business Administration (2004) degrees, graduating as a member of Beta Gamma Sigma.
With faith and deep devotion to her adopted country, Ms. Ham has profound belief in America’s citizens and all its people. The belief that all men are created equal, endowed by our Creator with inherent and inalienable rights, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness drives Ms. Ham in her day-to-day life. A conservative American, Ms. Ham cherishes the liberties that we all enjoy – not taking for granted the sacrifices made by so many men and women that fought for our freedom.
NEIL CLIBURN
2nd VP MEMBERSHIP
Neil’s father was a U.S. Air Force Officer for 30 years. After retiring, he worked in the Aerospace industry. When Neil was 17, the family moved to Taylor Lake Village (Timber Cove), where the original seven astronauts lived.
Marilyn Lovell, wife of Jim Lovell–who flew on Apollo 13–hosted Neil`s bridal shower. Her husband Jim Lovell named a crater on the moon after Neil’s father, who worked in Mission Control.
Neil got a degree in Education from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, got married, and taught 8 th grade, English, and Journalism at Creekwood Middle School. She served as the Department Chair at Creekwood for 22 years, and later worked as a Substitute Teacher there. After divorcing, Neil hung wallpaper professionally, sold Lincoln cars, industrial chemicals, and got her real estate license.
Neil works hard, plays hard, and is always willing to lend a helping hand. She became a conservative because she believes in the American dream: that anyone can do anything they choose to pursue if they work hard, do the best possible job they can, and have pride in what they do.
Neil has three great children, four grandsons, and one great grandson.
M'liss Painter
RECORDING SECRETARY
M’Liss Painter graduated from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, and earned a BA in Communications and English. She later returned to LMU to earn a California Teacher’s Credential.
Throughout her thirty-eight-year teaching career, she has taught grades 2 through 12. As a teacher at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, she earned the distinction of Teacher of the Year. After retiring and moving to Houston, Texas four years ago, she decided to return to her profession and teaches Art at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School in Humble.
M’Liss and her husband Charles married while he was serving as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. They recently celebrated thirty-six years of marriage and have three adult children, Matthew, Travis, and Shelley.
M’Liss joined Kingwood Area Republican Women in July 2016 and accepted the position of Historian. She attended Abbott University Training, became a Voter Registrar, and has served as Delegate to the State Convention twice. She received the Family Time Women of Achievement Award for Human Services and was a Texas Federation of Republican Women Tribute to Women Honoree. M’Liss was nominated and served for two years as KARW President in 2018 and 2019.
She is passionate in her support of the Republican Party and its ideals and values. M’Liss is dedicated in her support of Republican candidates and elected officials. She has wholeheartedly embraced Texas as her new home.
Carolyn Cammack
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Graduated from Lamar University in 1966 with a BBA in Business Administration. She worked as a Legal Secretary for Exxon Houston,1966-1967, in Headquarters Law, Patents and Copyrights, for a Chemical Patent Attorney who wrote patents for inventors at facility in Baytown.
She started teaching business subjects in various high schools in Texas in 1967. In 1987 Carolyn accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire teaching Business Communications and Shorthand.
When she returned to Texas she taught business subjects at Klein Oak High School until she retired.
After retirement Carolyn supervised student teachers for Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, for eight years.
Carolyn also taught Adult Education for Lone Star College for 16
semesters.
She earned her MBA from Sam Houston State University in 1975.
CHERYL AUSTIN
TREASURER
There`s an old adage that says, if you want to get something done, give it to a very busy person. That would be Cheryl Austin.
She and her son, Ryan, manage the Kingwood Farmer`s Market every Thursday afternoon and two weekend markets a month. She is also the Secretary for the Humble Noon Lions Club. They have been Lions Club International members since the late 1970s.
The Austin family emigrated to the U.S. from Johannesburg, South Africa in 1998. When the Austins received their U.S. Citizenship in 2007, Congressman Poe acknowledged this event in a speech on the House floor. Cheryl started working at the Call Center for Continental Airlines and became an Executive Assistant at Corporate headquarters in downtown Houston. Later, as Manager of University Relations, Cheryl hired interns from colleges around the USA.
After Continental`s merger with United, she became Manager of Global Recruiting and travelled internationally to Europe, Brazil, and India to support hiring efforts. Later she did domestic recruiting for United until the department was closed in Houston due to Covid in 2020, when she retired. Cheryl has two children and four grandchildren.