Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Supporters of All Students’ Success,

It’s time.

It’s time for me to step out of my role as CEO at Communities In Schools of Central Texas, the organization I have served with deep commitment for 27 years.  Over the years, and especially when my hair went from black to a bit silvery to downright grey, people asked me how long I thought I’d stay at CIS.  I never knew the answer because I couldn’t imagine any more powerful mission, rewarding work nor more wonderful colleagues.  I love kids and see each as a lovable and capable human deserving of an array of supports and many growth-filled opportunities which is precisely how CIS helps.

During my tenure at CIS, I have worked alongside hundreds of highly skilled and compassionate professionals who have helped hundreds of thousands of children and youth to feel safe, seen and worthy and to realize their gifts. I started and nurtured very special programs to change the odds of young people to dream big and realize their dreams, programs like ASPIRE family literacy, the XY Zone for young men, and SmartKids serving students in public housing. All of our CIS work is embedded in the community, mostly within our most important public institution – our public schools.