Mady and Ken Kades are celebrated in the City of Houston for their leadership, support of the arts, love of the theater, generosity to the community, and business acumen. Together, they own and operate 53 McDonald’s restaurants, employing over 3,000 people in over 18 townships. They also hold numerous positions of leadership throughout the United States.

​

Mady is currently a board of trustee for the Holocaust Museum Houston, the board of the Houston Arts Alliance, and the advisory board of Moores School of Music Society. She has also been the chair of Art Circle, an art affinity group at the Holocaust Museum Houston, for the past three years. Previously, she was a member of the board of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. Mady is the founder of The Space Race for Ronald McDonald House Charities and was the director for 10 years. She also created The CA Scene for City ArtWorks and was instrumental in creating Art Circle for the Holocaust Museum Houston. Mady has chaired a number of important philanthropic events, including the TASO Luncheon and Fashion Show for the Houston Symphony League, Family Day for the Center for Contemporary Craft, and Empire State of Mind for the Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre.

​

As well as being a lifetime member of the National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah, The Women’s Fund for Health/Education and Research, and Ronald McDonald House, Mady is a member of the International Women’s Forum and has been asked to be an ambassador to the Houston Theater District. Her numerous honors recognizing her generous contributions include: being named one of the 50 Most Influential Women for 2014 by Houston Woman Magazine, being named one of the Women of Distinction by the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, being named a Woman of Substance by the Mission of Yahweh, and being named one of Houston’s 25 Most Beautiful for 2017 by H Texas magazine. She has also been the Honoree of City Artwork’s Art of Conversation, inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame, and the recipient of the State of Texas Governor Small Business Award.

​

Ken is the chairman of Operator’s Reinsurance Company, chairman of the underwriting committee for McDonald’s Owner Operator Insurance Company, and  chairman of the National McDonald’s Insurance Team. He also sits on the board of directors of the Alley Theatre, is a member of the executive committee, and is its vice president-elect to act as the next president.

​

As a couple, Mady and Ken have supported numerous venerable institutions and have received a number of honors. Together they have supported Moores School of Music; the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft; the Jewish Federation; the Blaffer Art Museum; the Houston Symphony; Congregation Beth Israel and Friends of the Margolis Gallery; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Houston Museum of Natural Science; The Ensemble Theatre; Congregation Beth Israel; the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston; and Ronald McDonald Houses in Houston and Galveston. Additionally, they support schools, sports teams, and academic activities in all their business communities. They were celebrated as 2016 Community Champions by Texas Children’s Cancer Center, named 2017 Houston Treasures by Houston’s Social Book, and were chairs of the Holocaust Museum’s Host Committee for the 2018 LBJ Moral Courage Award Dinner.

​

One of the great passions Mady and Ken share is the theater. It is their belief that theater is a universal phenomenon, which is necessary for exploring the human condition in every society. They chaired the historically successful 2015 Alley Theatre Ball, Much Ado About the Alley: Celebrating the Art of Theatre, and were also the underwriting chairs of the Alley’s 2017 ball.  As well as being honorary producers of numerous shows at the Alley Theatre, Mady and Ken produce wildly successful shows like Anastasia, King Kong,  and Tootsie on Broadway and in London’s West End.

​

In appreciation for their incredible support, the Alley Theater’s guest entrance has been named The Ken and Mady Kades Entrance and the new stage at the Holocaust Museum Houston has been named the Mady and Ken Kades Stage. In the fall of 2019, Mady and Ken hosted the grand opening celebration of the new Holocaust Museum Stage. It was their honor to feature a presentation by the Houston Chamber Choir of Annelies, the first major choral setting of Anne Frank’s Diary. 

​

Avid travelers, Mady and Ken have visited over 90 countries and countless cities. They live in Memorial and are blessed with a wonderful family: Rachel Kades, Dr. Alex and Jennifer Butkevich, Lil and Matthew Kades, and granddaughter’s Margot and Olivia Kades, all of whom share Mady and Ken’s love of the community, the arts, and the theater.

​

It is for all the reasons mentioned above, and many more, that Mady and Ken Kades have been named a Top 20 Power Couple Impact Maker for 2020.