Mayor John Whitmire declared April 14 “David D. Medina Day” in Houston for Medina’s contributions to the city through his work at Rice University with a proclamation at City Hall.
“There are Houstonians — leaders — that are quietly, day in and day out, making this the great city that it is,” Whitmire said regarding Medina’s 35-year career at Rice leading multicultural relations in the Office of Public Affairs before his retirement in March.
During his tenure at Rice, Medina conducted and participated in more than 100 activities annually. It is estimated his work reached more than 10,000 people each year. These activities included college information sessions, school visits, community dialogue luncheons, lectures, film festivals, media relations, college essay-writing workshops, galas, receptions and community events. Additionally, he oversaw a quarterly newsletter that garnered awareness of the university’s outreach efforts.
“I worked at Rice University for 35 years because I love my job of bringing diverse communities together to help them move forward,” Medina said. “I grew up in Second Ward, a neighborhood that was largely populated by Hispanic immigrants, and although we faced many challenges, many of us were given opportunities to improve our lot. We’re forever grateful for this help. Doing outreach at Rice was my way to give back to the community and to assist others by success.”
Medina’s passion for his job is best described by his presence and participation on campus and across the city as well as by the accolades he received.
Among the highlights of his service, Medina served on the Mayor’s Hispanic Advisory Board for 18 years. He led the Texas Leadership Consortium Summer Youth Program each summer at Rice and was often known to rub elbows with foreign dignitaries. He received the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and was named a 2017 National Top Latino Leader by the Council for Latino Workplace Equity, an initiative of the National Diversity Council. A documentary he co-produced, “Young, Gifted and Black,” was so well assembled and poignant that PBS aired the film throughout Texas.
Before joining Rice, he was a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Houston Post, Dallas Times Herald, Austin American-Statesman and The Dallas Morning News.
