Council Recognizes Outgoing Sentinel Club President For Service To City

The West U City Council recognized outgoing Sentinel Club President Mary Diez this week for her dedication and support to the public safety of the city.

Diez, who has served as president of the organization since December of 2004, will step down on Sept. 1 and be replaced by former Mayor Bob Kelly.

“It’s time,” Diez said about the end of her presidency. “It’s a fabulous club. We love our police and fire department and we want them to have everything.”

The Sentinel Club is a nonprofit organization that was formed by concerned residents and business leaders in 1984 to help maintain high-quality police and fire service in the community.

The club was set up to assist families of police officers and firefighters who died or were seriously injured in an accident. The organization also helps fund equipment and training that the city may not normally budget for.

During Diez’s presidency, the club has donated more than $106,000 to the city including new helmets for the fire department, an automated fingerprint ID system for the police department, EMS training equipment and a thermal imager for the police department.

Council approved a donation of $71,665 from the Sentinel Club on Monday to fund the city’s emergency operation center with audio visual equipment that will help emergency personnel communicate with staff and other operation centers during emergency situations.

“You’ve done a very good job and we’re very proud of you,” Mayor Bob Fry said.

Diez told InstantNewsWestU that she plans to stay involved with the organization as a member of its board of directors.

The club’s board of directors includes West U residents Anne Murphy, Keyes Page, David Allums, Martha Mims, Carlin Morstead, James Warren and Bob Geary.

The organization is funded through donations and club dues. There are several levels of dues for members including an individual yearly membership of $65, a yearly family membership of $100, a lifetime family membership of $500 and a business membership of $250.

For those interested in become a member or donating to the organization, checks can be made payable to the Sentinel Club and be sent to The Sentinel Club c/o City of West University Place, 3800 University Blvd. Houston, TX 77005.

For more information about how to become a member of the Sentinel Club, e-mail the organization at [email protected].