UCROSS FOUNDATION TO HOST HOUSTON GALA & BENEFIT

Ucross Foundation has announced the Ucross Gala & Benefit, to be held November 6 at POST Houston in Houston, Texas. The event will celebrate the legacy of the nonprofit organization’s late founder through the presentation of the 2025 Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership to Corbin Robertson, Jr., of Houston.

Ucross Founder Raymond Plank — World War II bomber pilot, entrepreneur, philanthropist and co-founder and longtime CEO of Apache Corporation — was known for his legendary independence, business acumen, and entrepreneurial vision. His generosity inspired, empowered, and supported generations of artists and executives to boldly pursue their own visions. The Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership was designed to honor and celebrate business leaders, philanthropists and innovators who have forged their own path and had an enduring impact on business, the arts, or land stewardship. 

The inaugural recipient of the Raymond Plank Award for Visionary Leadership was former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson of Forth Worth, Texas, at the Ucross Gala & Benefit in Houston in 2019. Additional recipients include the late U.S. Senator Al Simpson and Mrs. Ann Simpson of Cody, Wyoming (2024); CEO of Pioneer Natural Resources Scott Sheffield of Houston, Texas (2023); and former Ucross Chairman Jim Nelson of Big Horn, Wyoming (2021).

Robertson is a seasoned leader with more than 40 years of global investment and operational experience in the natural resources sector. He began his career in 1969 at Quintana Petroleum and later led its mining division, Quintana Minerals Corporation, eventually acquiring the company in the 1980s. He is currently Managing Partner of Quintana Capital Group and serves as Chairman and CEO of the general partner of Natural Resource Partners L.P. Robertson has also chaired multiple public and private energy and shipping ventures and holds leadership roles across a range of organizations, including the American Petroleum Institute, Texas Medical Center, and Baylor College of Medicine. Robertson attended The University of Texas Austin’s Business Honors Program and was named a UT All American Football player during his Junior and Senior years. He is also a member of the Texas Business Hall of Fame.

Corby Robertson (center) gives an invocation at the 2023 Ucross Gala & Benefit in Houston

“Corby’s career is a testament to bold leadership, strategic vision, and a deep understanding of the natural resources that power our economy,” said Steve Farris of Houston, co-founder and principal of Forager Energy, a U.S. minerals and royalty company; former Chairman and CEO of Apache Corporation; and former Ucross Trustee. “Corby and his wife, Barbara, have also been tremendously involved in many philanthropic efforts and programs in Texas and beyond in the areas of education, the arts, sports and with underprivileged children. It is truly an honor to be able to call Corby a friend.”

“It is a privilege to honor Corby Robertson for the impact his visionary leadership has had in Houston and beyond,” said Ucross Trustee Roger Plank of Houston, Founder and Chairman of Apex International Energy, former President and CCO of Apache Corporation and son of Raymond Plank. “I know my father would be very gratified to see his legacy carried forward in this meaningful way.”

Roger and his wife, Connie Plank, will co-present the Ucross Gala & Benefit in Houston along with Ucross Chair Jesse and Cathy Marion, Steve and Vicki Farris, and Ucross Trustee Christian Nelson and Dan Schroeder. Outgoing Chair Jim Nelson and Judy Rossiter will also be in attendance, along with other members of the Ucross Foundation Board, as they celebrate Raymond Plank’s legacy, the nonprofit’s mission and Robertson’s award. 

Raymond Plank founded Ucross to foster the creative spirit of working artists through uninterrupted time, studio space, living accommodations and the experience of the majestic High Plains, while serving as a responsible steward of its historic 20,000-acre ranch in northern Wyoming. Since welcoming its first artists in 1983, Ucross has developed into one of the most respected artist communities in the nation and has supported more than 3,000 writers, composers, choreographers, and visual artists. After their sought-after fellowships, Ucross alumni have gone on to win Pulitzer Prizes, Tony Awards, National Book Awards and Academy Awards, among many other accolades across disciplines. 

This fall, the Ucross Gala & Benefit will transport attendees to Ucross’s stunning ranch overlooking the Bighorn Mountains with featured former artists-in-residence. Ucross Fellow Don Stinson of Austin, Texas, will create an oil painting live throughout the evening; the main stage will feature a performance by Ucross Fellows Jack Wolff of Houston, Aoi Fujiwara of Osaka, Japan; and Eric Best of Indianapolis, Indiana. Wolff received the inaugural Lauren Anderson Dance Residency at Ucross as part of the residency program’s partnership with the Houston Ballet, thanks to a generous donation from Deborah and Edward Koehler and the Raymond Plank Philanthropy Fund. 

Among its national partnerships, Ucross works closely with the Alley Theatre, Houston Ballet, the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program and Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, providing fellowships to Texan alumni. 

More information about the Ucross Gala & Benefit is available here.