Human Trafficking, Irene Hickey, Wednesday Program

 “The essence of human trafficking is in its force, fraud and/or coercion of vulnerable people. Trafficking does not exist in isolation. It is linked to economic, political and social forces that increase the vulnerability and desperation of the poor, refugees and migrants.”

Irene Hickey

Rotary Club of the University Area

As a Contingency Planner for Xerox Corporation, Irene Hickey’s primary responsibility is to assure that all of the field sales and service offices for Xerox North America have contingency plans in place, which enable Xerox to resume business after a disaster occurs.   This covers over 100,000 employees.  In 2013, she was one of only five individuals in all of Xerox North America to receive a Social Service Leave for six months.  This was a fully paid leave of absence to work on a non-profit project.  Irene’s project through her Rotary club, is to build a 40-unit apartment complex to house firefighters and first responders while they are receiving treatment at the Texas Medical Center for any work related injury (which unfortunately, is primarily cancer).  She served as project manager for this project during her leave and now sits on the Board of the Rotary Firefighters Home.

Irene is President of the Rotary Club of the University 2014-2015.   At the District level, Irene is the District 5890 Friendship and Fellowship Chair.  Over the years she has organized and participated in friendship exchanges (both inbound and outbound) with Germany, Sweden, Nigeria and Israel and she is currently arranging RFE’s with South Africa (Kenton-by-the-Sea).

At the 2014 RI Convention in Sydney Australia, Irene served as a panelist, speaking on RFEs to the international audience.  Irene has been on the staff of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute for five years now.  

Lastly, she initiated the District 5890 Human Trafficking Task Force, to look at the very big problem of sex trafficking/human trafficking in the Houston area and currently serves as its chair.

In addition to Rotary, Irene is a member of the Association of Contingency Planners Gulf Coast Chapter, the President Elect of the Houston-Leipzig Sister City Assn. and a member of First Methodist Church.  She now spends her “free” time as a free-lance writer

Irene has one adult son and daughter-in-law, two delightful teenage grandchildren.  She is a native Houstonian, and enjoys traveling with Lindsey, who actually first introduced her to Rotary.  He is past president of the Rotary Club of Houston.  Together they have two dogs, Dante and Wiggles.  Their love of church, Rotary and traveling brings them much joy, and many opportunities to serve.