Each Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Chairman of the Board brings their own leadership style to the role and three-year term as the organization’s top volunteer leader.
Working alongside the CEO and Executive Committee, the Chairman, often called the Rodeo’s “number one volunteer,” inherits a tremendous responsibility. Like the leaders before them, each brings their own character, perspective and vision.
Since joining the organization as a volunteer in 2003, Sinor has contributed across nearly every facet of the Rodeo, from helping establish a new committee and serving on seven committees to advancing through leadership roles as director, vice president and member of the Executive Committee.
As Sinor begins his term as Chairman of the Board, get to know the leader behind the title through a conversation about his history with the Rodeo, his passion for its mission and his vision for the future.
What does it mean to you to be the next Chairman of the Board of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo?
I’m so passionate about Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I am passionate about our mission: agriculture, education, entertainment and Western heritage. It’s all about the support we give to the youth of Texas. I’m passionate about our mission but I am also passionate about leading the 36,000 volunteers. They give their time, talent, and treasure. It is a tremendous honor to be able to be the number one volunteer.
You’re in a pivotal time to lead this organization. How does it feel to you to be involved in such an exciting time for HLSR?
This is one of the most transformative times in the Rodeo’s history. We are planning for the next 100 years and we don’t take those decisions lightly. It is truly an honor to be part of that process.
The Rodeo is a Houston institution but its impact reaches communities across Texas. The leaders who came before me built something that touches people’s lives in so many ways, from education and agriculture to small businesses and local economies.
The decisions we make today will help shape the Rodeo for generations to come.
What is one thing you hope to accomplish in the next three years?
I hope to build on the foundation that Pat Mann Phillips established. She has been a tremendous leader and I look forward to building on that momentum, leading the organization and continually improving our event across the grounds, whether through the customer experience, our exhibits, RODEOHOUSTON events or other enhancements.
Tell us a little bit about how you got involved in the organization for volunteering with the Rodeo.
I was probably in my early 30s. I had a good friend who had been on the Breeders and Greeters Committee for a long time, and he kept asking me to come out and join the Rodeo. I didn’t have time at that point, but once I did, I said, “Yeah, let’s go ahead and do it.”
He told me he was about to get in on the ground floor of a new committee. A month or two went by, and then he called and said, “Hey, I’m starting a new committee. Do you want to be on the ground floor?”
I said, “Absolutely.”
It was 2002, and that new committee, the Gatekeepers Committee, was formed. It was also the year we moved into the new stadium and convention center.
I started on Gatekeepers and worked my way through that committee and others, eventually serving as a vice president and a member of the Executive Committee for nine years. Now, I’m Chairman of the Board.
You met your wife, Cassie, at the Rodeo. Tell us that story.
I met her at the suite level. A friend of mine knew her and said, “I want you to come down to another suite and meet someone.”
I didn’t get introduced to her at that point, but I was standing next to her and overheard her say she was from Pasadena, Texas. So, I said, “Hey, I’m from Pasadena, Texas.”
She actually didn’t believe me. I asked her what high school she attended, and Cassie said, “Sam Rayburn.”
I said, “Well, so did I,” and then we started talking. She finally believed me, and we haven’t gone a day without speaking since. That was 14 years ago.
What is your favorite aspect of Rodeo?
My favorite part of the Rodeo is interacting with the exhibitors. They may be raising an animal, or they may be showing their ag mechanics project or their industrial craft project. It is so fulfilling to talk to these kids. They’re so excited to tell you about their project. They’re impressive kids, with great speaking abilities.
This is very much a demanding position. How do you hope to find balance when you enter this role?
I’m the type that will give 110%. So that’s not really balanced. [small chuckle] But at the same time, I do have outlets. I love to compete on the back of a horse. I play polo. I show cutting horses. That’s probably my biggest release because when you’re on the back of a horse, for 40 years, I’ve never once thought about work. So, you get on there and just the rest of the world goes away and it’s just you and the horse. I also love to play tennis, golf, and shoot sporting clay.
What do you eat for breakfast every day?
Usually yogurt, blueberries, and granola, or a bagel. One of the two.
Which artist were you most excited to meet?
Well, I know Cody Johnson pretty well. It’s really fun to see him. He’s a local boy, kind of on the same track as George Strait was back in the day. He subbed in for someone at the last minute and now look at him. He’s got the NRG Stadium record at more than 80,000 people. That was cool to see.
When I was shadowing Pat, we were at every single buckle presentation. I can tell you every entertainer was appreciative to be there. They were friendly.
The most fun was probably Kelly Clarkson. What you see on stage is what she is in real life.
Sinor’s term as Chairman of the Board begins immediately and succeeds Pat Mann Phillips. Under Phillips’ leadership, the Rodeo advanced through a transformative era of growth while remaining grounded in the traditions that define the organization.
To learn more about the Rodeo’s newly elected officials, click here.