Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital Announces New Members on Board of Trustees
HOUSTON (March 27, 2007) Mr. Meredith J. Long, chairman of the Texas Heart Institute (THI) Board of Trustees, has announced the election of Mrs. Jan Duncan, Mr. John Young and Mr. Tilman Fertitta to the THI Board, and the appointment of Mr. Dan Duncan as an Honorary Trustee. The role of the Board of Trustees is to establish an environment that will allow scientists, physicians and support personnel to work at their highest capacity, and to build informed and steady support for the various programs in research, education and improved patient care. Honorary trustees are invited to attend and participate in meetings of the Board of Trustees, and to weigh in on a variety of important issues.
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Mrs. Jan Duncan | 
Mr. John Young | 
Mr. Tilman Fertitta |
“The Texas Heart Institute is very fortunate to add the leadership of these dynamic individuals to its Board of Trustees. Our Trustees take their stewardship responsibilities very seriously, as they seek to maintain and build upon the Institute’s position of eminence in cardiovascular research, education and patient care,” said Denton A. Cooley, MD, president and surgeon-in-chief of the Texas Heart Institute.
Mr. and Mrs. Duncan have a strong history of supporting the Houston community through their belief of “doing the best you can every day.” Jan Ellis Duncan taught second grade for 14 years before marrying Dan Duncan in 1989. She works tirelessly with many faith-based organizations in her dedication to doing God’s work. She serves on the board of the Intercessors of the Lamb, the board of the Friends of Our Lady Apostolate, and the board of the Society of the Body of Christ which ministers to the sick, the dying, the elderly, the needy, the alienated and the abused, along with several other organizations. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan have generously supported medical research and treatment through commitments to the Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. As Mr. Duncan is a prostate cancer survivor, it is the Duncans’ desire that the Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine provide hope and care to others in their battles with cancer. The couple received the Maurice Hirsch Award for Philanthropy at Houston’s Philanthropy Day in 2006.
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| Mr. Dan Duncan |
Mr. Duncan founded EPCO, Inc. in 1968 and built it into one of the nation’s largest and most successful energy companies which today includes a family of companies with an aggregate enterprise value of more than $23 billion. The largest of these entities, Enterprise Products Partners, L.P., is one of the premier midstream energy partnerships in North America. Under Mr. Duncan’s leadership as the chairman and the largest unitholder, Enterprise has become a Fortune 200 company that is consistently ranked among the nation’s best-managed companies.
After receiving degrees in accounting and law from the University of Texas at Austin, Mr. John Young worked for the Chief Counsel’s Office of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington D.C., specializing in oil and gas matters. During that time he earned a Master’s Degree in tax law at Georgetown University Law Center before serving as Special Counsel to the President of the American Petroleum Institute. He is now President of John H. Young, Inc., an exploration and production company which he founded in 1979, and Vice-President of JOY Resources, Inc. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Central Bancshares and Central Bank-Houston. He serves on the Executive Committee of both the United States Oil and Gas Association and the Texas Oil and Gas Association. He has also provided leadership to several professional, civic, academic and faith-based organizations.
Mr. Tilman Fertitta launched his meteoric rise in the restaurant and hospitality industry in 1980 by forming a company which built and developed residential housing, restaurants and hotels. His interest and professional involvement in finance led him to open two Landry’s restaurants in 1986. He expanded the company, without the aid of venture capital or investors, to eleven restaurants with nearly $32 million in revenue by 1992. Over the past 15 years—with Mr. Fertitta serving as chairman of the board, president, chief executive officer and the largest shareholder—Landry’s has become a Fortune 1000 company with revenue exceeding $1.5 billion in 2005. Forbes magazine named Landry’s one of the best companies in America for three consecutive years. Regionally, Mr. Fertitta spurred historic changes in the restaurant and hospitality industry with developments of the Kemah Boardwalk, the Downtown Aquarium and in Galveston Island. Landry’s is now positioned as a critical player in the redevelopment of downtown Las Vegas with a $200 million renovation plan. In 2004, Mr. Fertitta was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame. He is the second-youngest inductee ever to receive the honor, after Michael Dell.
“Clearly, our new Trustees are very accomplished in their professional pursuits and their dedication to our community is outstanding. We welcome these new members, and we are grateful for the vision, experience and commitment they will add to our leadership,” said James T. Willerson, MD, president-elect and medical director of the Texas Heart Institute.
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World-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Denton A. Cooley, MD, founded the Texas Heart Institute in 1962. The Texas Heart Institute is dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through innovative programs in research, education and improved patient care. Together with the Institute’s clinical partner, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, for the past 16 years it has been ranked among the nation’s top ten heart centers in an annual survey published by U.S.News & World Report.
