LCAHouston’s Top Ten People of the Year 2019
As we wrap up another year, we are delighted to reveal our Annual LCAHouston Top 10 People of the Year!
Nicole O’Brian Lassiter
Nicole O’Brian Lassiter is a former double crown winner of MISS TEXAS TEEN USA® and MISS TEXAS USA®, and was a runner–up to MISS TEEN USA® and MISS USA®, as well as winner of the Swimsuit Award in both national competitions. Nicole was featured in Real Simple, Reader’s Digest, Houston Modern Luxury, Prevention, Endeavor Lifestyle, and Wired Italy Magazine. Her acting roles include a performance in Days of Our Lives, the lead role in the movie The Mark, and in The Amazing Race. Nicole has hosted multiple television shows including The Drop Spot, Winds of the World, and My Fox Houston Live.
She is passionate about issues involving children at risk as well as cancer awareness and research, specifically pediatric and breast cancer. Nicole also cares deeply for The Arthritis Foundation. She Chaired their 2019 Bone Bash Gala, and has already committed to Chair next year’s event. Nicole is personally afflicted with arthritis, so the Foundation’s mission is extremely important to her. Nicole is happily married to prominent Houston attorney James Lassiter.
Photo By | Priscilla Parish Dickson
Charles Johnson, M.D.
Charles Johnson, M.D. is an ophthalmologist with Texas Eye Institute and is considered to be one of the Gulf Coast’s top eye surgeons. Charles was one of the first surgeons in the Houston area to perform LASIK Vision Correction in 1995. He received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He is a current member of the American Medical Association, Texas Medical Association, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Charles supports a wide variety of Houston charities including Houston Children’s Charities, Operation Smile, KNOWAutism, Recipe for Success, Pet Set, Crime Stoppers, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Arthritis Foundation, March of Dimes, Crohn’s & Colitis, UCROSS and many others. He and his wife Tammie have three children. They all love spending time together as a family and traveling.
Photo By | Quy Tran
Rehan Aslam
Rehan Aslam is the Vice President, News Director overseeing Broadcast and Digital Content at KTRK ABC13. Rehan began his television news career in Cleveland, Ohio, working at both WJW Fox 8 and WEWS as a producer. Rehan was also Executive Producer at Fox 32/WFLD in Chicago before moving to Houston in 2014 to join KTRK as Assistant News Director.
Rehan is a member of the Disney Owned Television Station’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. He is a 2009 Peabody Award winner for his work on the Derrion Albert story in Chicago.
A native of Northwest Pennsylvania, Rehan and his wife Sadaf are the proud parents of 7 year old son, Rafae. In his spare time, Rehan loves golfing and spending time with his family and friends. Rehan is also a die hard Marvel movie fan and is thrilled at the launch of Disney+.
Photo By | Quy Tran
Sai S. Pidatala
Sai Pidatala is Senior Counsel at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, with over a decade of cross-border experience, navigating the intricacies of M&A deals and commercial transactions, both on Wall Street and Main Street, in the US and abroad.
In addition to counseling on reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, and technology transactions throughout the US, the Middle East, and Asia, Sai’s prior entrepreneurial experience as founder of a boutique law firm allows him to understand the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises, and emerging growth companies.
Sai earned his JD from Vanderbilt University School of Law, and his BA from Cornell University.
Photo Courtesy | Sai Pidatala
Sue Habib
Sue Habib is a first generation immigrant from Lebanon, and her business, Lexis Florist, is her 30 year legacy of persistence, hard work, and faith. Her instantly recognizable flower arrangements have been spotted at many hotel lobbies, elite restaurants, high profile events, and also many Houston, Katy, Pearland, Woodlands residencies and businesses. Sue’s high power clients include former President George Bush, various Texas Governors, and many TV celebrities.
Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, on behalf of the Houston City Council, proclaimed not once, but twice “Sue Habib Day”. Once on November 10th, 2005, another on October 13th, 2011, “in honor and recognition of a great Houstonian Sue Habib – one of the successful and charitable business women of the City of Houston.”
Sue Habib is a wife, a sister, a mother, and a grandmother. As a successful entrepreneur, she sets an example for her fellow immigrants and businesswomen to work hard and to be dedicated to what you love doing. “Only then will your dreams will come true.”
Photo By | Sonya Abid
Steven Devadanam
A veteran of print, broadcast, and digital media, Steven Devadanam has covered news, sports, arts, and entertainment for a variety of national and local media, including CNN, NFL Network, New York Daily News, and Village Voice Media/Houston Press. His work has recently taken him to Los Angeles, where he wrote for NFL Network’s flagship show, NFL GameDay Morning. Now home as editor of CultureMap, he is passionate about promoting Houston as the next great global city. “I love this city’s vibrant dining scene and electric, can-do spirit. We’re an opportunity city that invites and includes all. This is what America can be,” says Steven exclusively to LCAHouston.
He enjoys spending time with his long-time girlfriend Lara and her daughter Mila.
Photo By | Brandon Strange
Melissa Williams Murphy
Melissa is a literacy expert, author of 12 books, news contributor, and the founding CEO of the iWRITE Literacy Organization which inspires youth to write and gives children the opportunity to become published authors. For the past ten years, Melissa has been working with school districts and organizations, spreading a love for learning inside schools and homes through her books and character development exercises for kids in over 200 schools.
Melissa’s professional training in psychology and counseling is the foundation to her program framework which gives educators and parents the tools they need to get on the level of a child in order to enhance self-motivation and confidence through literacy. Her latest programs revolve around the “i” the Guy character found inside the pages of a creative writing journal for kids aimed to create a positive association to writing.
Photo By | Eric Schell
Dr. Alice Mao
Alice has always been an ardent fashionista, and having recently been announced as the 2020 Houston Chronicle Best Dressed Honoree, just adds another feather in her cap. She is not only the mother of a 20-year-old autistic son Evan, she has also devoted her academic career to educating others about the life changing stresses on parents and siblings caring for autistic children. She is a Professor of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and is the Medical Director of the Autism Clinic of the Texas Children’s Outpatient Clinic.
Alice was a runway model for Saks Fifth Avenue, Sakowitz, and Neiman Marcus while a psychology and biology major at Rice University. She developed a passion for fashion that has persisted till today. We cannot wait to see her on the runway at the 2020 Best Dressed Luncheon.
Photo By | Wilson Parish
Abbas Khan
Abbas is a seasoned marketing strategy professional who specializes in insights-driven marketing. He believes branding is the bridge that connects an innovative idea to the lives of anyone, and has dedicated his professional career to taking complicated science or tech ideas and bringing them to life. He currently leads marketing for Boston based Life Biosciences.
Abbas and his wife Sheekha frequent charity events. They are proud to donate through their family’s foundation, which was founded by his philanthropist mother, Shahida, and father, Dr. Mehmood Khan, who was formerly the Global Vice Chairman of PepsiCo. The Khan Family Foundation actively focuses its charitable giving towards underserved youth, education initiatives, and women’s empowerment. Abbas grew up in Minnesota, went to school in Chicago, and relocated to Houston from Greenwich, Connecticut with his wife and 2 year old daughter, Rania.
Photo By | Ryuji Suzuki
Fady Armanious
There is a popular saying in Houston’s gala scene “What Will Fady Wear?!?” As the Creative Fashion Director at Tootsies, Fady Armanious sets the trend for high fashion in the Bayou City.
Originally from Cairo, he has a flair for global style, and attends the biggest fashion shows internationally. “In Egypt, I was told I wouldn’t be respected or be successful in fashion,” he says. “I’m proud of myself coming from a foreign country to be able to work hard and do something I wanted to do.”
Fady cites his Mother as a strong influence in his life. “She had incredible style and always left the house looking perfectly polished,” says Fady.
Fady is active with the Houston Ballet, Legacy Community Health, and Recipe for Success charities. Along with his partner Bill Baldwin, Fady enjoys the Houston society scene, cooking, and vacations at the beach.
Photo By | Traci Ling
