Derick Miles - President HoustonSplash
No train would have direction without an engineer. A mild mannered quiet man by day, but behind that gorgeous smile lies a brother with BIG DREAMS for Houston Splash. Derick Miles has been the driving force behind Houston Splash for 10 years now.

As a former owner of Incognito Club, Derick and the late Clifford Hunter brought forth-new light to the African American Club scene. With a powerhouse team of influential parties (including Cookie La Cook, Grover Fortenberry, Rande Rochelle, Tony Powell, and "Mother") Incognito the club was born. The newest spot on the block, tucked away on the edge of Houston’s Chinatown, became the home of this new establishment. The start of the Incognito Divas, The Firm, The Men of Texas, Mr. & Miss Black Gay Houston, The Southern Divas, and other Incognito "traditions" were born there.

As if being in the Club Business wasn’t enough to keep any man busy, Derick's second baby is HoustonSplash. It takes all year long to plan for an even such as this, and Mr. Miles doesn't skip a beat. From contract negotiations to DJ's, dancers and drinks, Derick has his hand in everything much like Oprah and her O magazine. The growth alone, from a weekend to a weeklong celebration has kept Derick even busier.

Sean Dawson - Vice President HoustonSplash / Promoter
Flyers, television, and magazines are the weapons of choice when it comes to tying what's going on in the world to HoustonSplash. Finding the latest party venues and trends while putting a spin on them is always a way to keep up with the changing times. The media and all its avenues are always in the mind of this brother.

A native of Denver, Co., Sean relocated to Houston Texas due to a job promotion. Bringing his marketing knowledge and an eye for the "out of the ordinary", Dawson added a twist to everything he touched. When it comes to hot layouts and catch phrases, here's where some of them were born. With the help of a few close friends, Sean collaborates to smooth the edges out on his sometimes-elaborate ideas. The HoustonSplash themes have started with a small flicker and soon the imagination spreads like wildfire. With new direction, the promotion of HoustonSplash grew from a weekend to a weeklong event. The groundbreaking presentation of this all started with the HoustonSplash brochure featuring "The Wedding ". The ball has continued to roll with themes such as the annual Strip Down in H-town, Mission Possible, Elements, and last year’s theme of “The Revolution.”

As everything goes to print, meanwhile, Sean makes certain every word is added to the HoustonSplash website. From cross advertising, driving directions, and informative readings, these few and more add that extra touch to the HoustonSplash website. After receiving the shipment of flyers, the real work starts. From Chicago to D.C., New Orleans to Dallas, LA and Atlanta; Sean and his assistant hop flights across the country to spread the word while tagging hundreds of cars at nationwide Pride events. Needless to say, Mr. Dawson stays busy all year long, and in the words of one of his flyers "It takes more than a name, to fill his shoes".