Letter from the President and CEO March 2026
Dear Reader,
Whispers of spring have begun to emerge in Houston, bringing with them an unmistakable sense of renewal, growth, and life. The coming season will bring several exciting Institute for Spirituality and Health events and initiatives, including the Illumination Dinner, to be held on the evening of May 19. Be sure to save the date! We are also looking forward to the Collective Soul Symposium, the Conference on Medicine and Religion, and more, across our four Centers of Excellence.
I just returned from the 2026 Lake Nona Impact Forum, an annual event that convenes leaders from the global health, wellness, and medical innovation ecosystem. This year’s theme was “The Outer Limits of Health Innovation,” and included diverse presentations and panels featuring cutting-edge perspectives on the future of healthcare. While they invite brilliant biomedically oriented minds to participate, I appreciate that they also feature perspectives from the arts, sports, business, and more.
This year, two speakers inspired me most. The first was Jon Batiste, the joyous, genius, and incomparable musician and composer, who described life and work as “moving through time as we co-create with God.” The second was Emmanuel Pratt, an American Urban Designer who co-founded the Sweet Water Foundation, which practices "Regenerative Neighborhood Development" on the south side of Chicago.
Emmanuel brings inter-generational members of the community together for education and to work on urban agriculture, reclaiming abandoned properties, and transforming them into productive landscapes. His work is remarkable, and the way he spoke about health, culture, food, and the human spirit as deeply intertwined reminded me of the Institute’s holistic mindset as we work with faith communities to bolster community health and vitality. He reminded us that “the world is a canvas for transformation,” and that we can balance structure and chaos, learning and unlearning, and intention and openness as we strive for a healthier world.
As we move through March, I encourage you to reflect upon these themes and how you can exercise your sacred creative spirit, bringing healing and wholeness to the systems you’re embedded in.
In this season, your contributions will go a long way, so please consider making a donation to support our work. Thank you for all you do to advance our mission to enhance individual and community well-being by exploring the relationship between spirituality and health!
Warmly,
Stuart
Stuart C. Nelson
President & CEO
Loise Henderson Wessendorff Chair