Gary Maler is the director of the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University in College Station. He has served as director since 2005. Prior to becoming the Center’s chief administrative officer, Maler was the Associate Director. As Director of the Center, Maler focuses his attention on garnering and managing the resources and talent of the Center, creating a work culture that is favorable to creativity, collaboration and accountability and looking for opportunities to grow the Center’s expertise and reputation for excellence. Maler is passionate about strategy and has led the Center in developing a refined list of bold strategic initiatives. Before joining the Center he worked in the private sector in real estate development. His past employers include Friendswood Development Company (FDC) in Houston, Texas. While with Friendswood he performed numerous land suitability and homebuyer preference surveys and the original market studies recommending successful projects including Copperfield, Greenspoint and Kingwood’s office as well as entertainment and retail centers. He also oversaw the construction of those and other FDC projects and managed 16 municipal utility districts and their infrastructure. During Maler’s tenure at Texas A&M, he worked as a Special Assistant on Assignment to the Vice Chancellor for Development of the Texas A&M Research Park, preparing the original ground leases and initial marketing strategies, as well as conducting comprehensive special studies of real estate owned by Texas A&M. He also initiated and identified decision-making criteria that became the underpinnings of a formalized real estate management system at Texas A&M. He has taught strategic thinking in the Mays Business School Center for Executive Development. Maler regularly makes presentations and assists real estate trade associations by conducting focus groups, business planning and strategy development sessions. He has assisted over 90 organizations during his 32- year career at Texas A&M.

ROTARIAN OF THE WEEK

RONALD C. FLOURNOY------Ron was born in Mobile, Alabama and moved to Calhoun County in 1957 with his ALCOA parents.  He graduated from Calhoun High in 1962 and then attended Lamar University where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1966.  His professional career began that year when he joined ALCOA at its Arkansas facility.  Then, over the next 34 years, he held technical/operating management positions in the Alumina Refining/Chemicals’ Division in Suriname, SA, Pittsburgh, Pa., Benton, Ark. (twice), Mobile, Ala., Point Comfort (twice), and Jamaica, WI.  Ron was ALCOA’S Point Comfort Operations Manager when he elected retirement in 2000.  He was a Professional Engineer in the State of Arkansas.

Ron has been married to the former Pamela Bundick of Bloomington, TX for 54 years. They reside in Port Lavaca.  Ron and Pam have two daughters, Stacey, married to Greg Wynn of Port Lavaca and Melissa, married to retired Air Force Col. Richard DeMouy now residing in San Antonio, TX.  Ron and Pam have three granddaughters and one grandson.

Ron serves on advisory boards for International Bank of Commerce Upper Gulf Coast, DeTar Hospital and the local Partners in Education group.  He co-founded the Crossroads Career Tech Coalition promoting careers in local business/industry.  He is active in numerous area community endeavors.  He is a member and deacon at First Baptist Church.  His hobbies include history, fishing, travel, genealogy, more fishing, and grandchildren.

Ron’s Rotary sponsor in 1984 was Ben Harriss.  Ron was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow in 2003.  He served as Club President during Rotary International’s Centennial year 2004-5, has served as Club Treasurer, and was Club Secretary 2005-15.  Ron also served as a Rotary Texas P.E.T.S. Ranger in 2007.