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Dr. Erin Baumgartner is the director of the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, which bridges research, policy, and practice to solve critical problems facing the nation’s fifth-largest metropolitan area.
In partnership with Houston-area school districts serving over 700,000 students, teams under her direction are pursuing a research agenda focused on equity, opportunity, and access for students. Topics include early childhood education, social and emotional learning, postsecondary readiness, school choice, teaching and staffing.
Baumgartner earned her doctorate from Pennsylvania State University’s dual-degree program in sociology and demography. She holds a master’s in sociology from the University of Chicago and a master’s in education with an emphasis in measurement, evaluation, statistics and assessment from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned a bachelor’s in sociology and marketing from the University of Notre Dame.
She has been an instructor at Penn State and Rice University and serves on the Early Childhood Research Quarterly editorial board. Her primary research and teaching interests are in sociology of education and family, social stratification and demography, the educational role of the family, research methods, and quantitative methods.
Peter Beard serves as Senior Vice President for Regional Workforce Development at the Greater Houston Partnership, the Houston region’s principal business organization.
He leads the Partnership’s UpSkill Houston initiative—a business-led effort that engages more than 200 employers, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and the public workforce system. UpSkill Houston works to ensure that the region’s businesses have access to workers that have skills and credentials for advanced and technical careers and occupations that require education beyond a high school diploma but less than a four-year college degree.
Peter is active in various community and civic causes. He serves on the boards of directors for Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions, Artspace Projects (Minneapolis, MN), and Houston LISC’s Local Advisory Committee. Prior to the sale of its assets to Ascension Insurance, he served on the board of directors of Paula Financial. Peter is also a Talent Pipeline Management® faculty member and Fellow at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and is a senior fellow with the American Leadership Forum in Houston.
Prior to joining Greater Houston Partnership, Peter served in executive roles at United Way Worldwide (Alexandria, VA) and the Fannie Mae Foundation (Washington, DC). Prior to Fannie Mae Foundation, he served as the general counsel at Habitat for Humanity International (Americus, GA), and was in private legal practice at Semmes, Bowen & Semmes (Baltimore, MD).
Peter received his A.B. in economics from Davidson College in North Carolina and J.D. (magna cum laude) from Syracuse University College of Law in New York.
Dr. Melanie Johnson is an executive visionary who has been instrumental in the evolution of Texas’ most iconic education entities- space, health, and brain sciences. As President and CEO of Collaborative for Children (2018-present), Dr. Johnson leads the state’s largest region, the gulf coast, in early learning enterprise systems building to improve school-readiness outcomes for under-resourced children ages birth to five. She delivers metrics-driven outcomes through digital transformation.
From 2015-2018, Dr. Johnson served as President and CEO of the John P. McGovern Museum of Health and Medical Science (A.K.A. The Health Museum). She led her team to achieve Smithsonian Affiliate status for exhibits and programs that would help the research of the Texas Medical Center be comprehensible to visitors. From 2009-2015, Dr. Johnson was awarded the national Nancy Hanks Award by the American Alliance of Museums while serving as Director of Education for NASA Johnson Space Center’s “Space Center Houston.”
Her education includes a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction (Ed. D.), a Masters of Hospitality Management (MHM) and a Bachelor’s degree in International Business (B.A.). She serves on several Board of Directors including Greater Houston Partnership, Texas Southern University Foundation, Avance and HCA Houston. Dr. Johnson was recently named one of Houston Business Journal’s 2022 Most Admired CEOs.
Duncan F. Klussmann served as the Superintendent of Schools in Spring Branch Independent School District (SBISD) from 2004- 2015. On July 1, 2015 he assumed the title of Superintendent Emeritus. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Klussmann served as an interim superintendent and area superintendent for SBISD. His vast experience includes periods as a school principal and assistant principal, as well as a classroom teacher.
During his 11 year tenure in SBISD, the school district passed the largest bond program in the history of the school district. The $597 million program replaced 13 aging elementary schools, renovated all remaining campuses, provided for new school buses, enhanced athletics facilities, and greatly expanded technology use in the school district. The original program called for the work to be accomplished over a 10 year period of time. As the result of a carefully designed management program, the bond work is scheduled to be completed well ahead of schedule with significant financial savings.
In 2012, Dr. Klussmann helped create the SKY Partnership, which joins together SBISD with KIPP Houston (KIPP) and YES Prep Public Schools (YES Prep) at two district middle schools where new campus program charters now operate. In August of 2015, the partnership expanded into high school. In the Houston region, such an innovative partnership between a school district and charter schools is one of a kind.
In addition, Dr. Klussmann worked closely with the board of trustees, community, staff and students on the creation of the Spring Branch Plan 2012-2017 Goal and Belief Statements. Utilizing a single-focused goal, SBISD doubled the number of students completing a technical certificate, military training and two or four-year degree. This ambitious goal is referred to as Spring Branch T-2-4.
Dr. Klussmann has twice served as president of the Texas School Alliance, an association of 39 of the largest and most influential school districts in Texas. He was recently named one of three 2014 Houstonians of the Year by the Houston Chronicle. A recipient of the Lifetime Member Award from the Texas Parent and Teacher Association, Dr. Klussmann received the TABE Honoree Award for Public Education in 2012. Dr. Klussmann now serves as a board member with United Way, and he remains active with numerous community groups.
Pam Wells, Ed.D, is a passionate advocate for children and the community, and a founder of Wells Education Consulting LLC. She recently retired as the executive director for Region 4 Education Service Center, which is the largest of the twenty education service centers in Texas.She began her career as a teacher in Spring Branch ISD. She then served as a teacher, campus, and district administrator, and as interim superintendent in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD. She serves on the American Heart Association Houston Board of Directors; Communities in Schools Board of Directors; Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Board of Directors/Treasurer; is on Houston Baptist University’s Teacher Education Advisory Council; is a member of the University of Texas College of Education Advisory Board; volunteers at Reach Unlimited; serves on the Cy-Hope Board of Directors; and is a Cy-Fair Educational Foundation trustee.
Pam has served as an adjunct professor at Sam Houston State University (SHSU) where she received her M.Ed. and Ed.D., and in 2015 was honored as the SHSU College of Education Distinguished Administrator. During the CFISD 75th Anniversary Jubilee, Pam was recognized as one of 75 honorees. In 2016, the North Harris County Branch of the AAUW selected her as an Outstanding Woman in Education. In 2017, she and her husband, Jim, were honored to become the namesakes of a new elementary school in Cy-Fair ISD, Wells Elementary. Crime Stoppers honored Pam with the Houston Heroes 2022 Safe Schools Award. The Harris County Commissioners Court recently passed a resolution honoring her retirement and 47-years of service to public education and the community.
Pam is a passionate advocate for children and the community. She serves on the American Heart Association Houston Board of Directors; Communities in Schools Board of Directors; Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Board of Directors/Treasurer; is on Houston Baptist University’s Teacher Education Advisory Council; is a member of the University of Texas College of Education Advisory Board; volunteers at Reach Unlimited; serves on the Cy-Hope Board of Directors; and is a Cy-Fair Educational Foundation trustee.
Todd is the founding Chairman and CEO of The Commit Partnership, a prominent educational collective impact organization in Dallas, Texas, dedicated to enhancing post-secondary completion and economic mobility. He’s also a senior trustee at Austin College and serves on the board of Fidelity Charitable. Todd’s commitment to education extends to founding a charter school and advising on education policy.
Appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Todd has played pivotal roles in various educational commissions, including the Texas Permanent School Fund Corporation and the Texas Commission on Public School Finance. He’s also chaired important educational boards like the Citizen Budget Review Commission for Dallas ISD and the Real Estate Finance and Investment Center.
Before his dedication to education, Todd had a successful career at Goldman Sachs. He holds an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA in Economics from Austin College.
2018 Texas Commission on Public School Finance (where he chaired its Outcomes Committee which ultimately produced 35 recommendations that served as the basis for Texas’ landmark HB3 legislation which equitably invested $11.5 billion in the state’s public K-12 education system in 2019) and (iii) the 2022 Texas Commission on Community College Funding, which recommended the strategic investment of ~$650 million of new biennial state funding (via Texas’ nation-leading HB8 legislation passed in 2023) to reward targeted outcomes and increase funding and accessibility for the state’s economically and academically disadvantaged students.
Todd earned an M.B.A. with distinction from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1989 and graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Austin College in Sherman, Texas in 1982.
Douglas L. Foshee has spent over thirty years in the Energy Industry and is founder and owner of Sallyport Investments, LLC. Foshee is former chairman, president, and chief executive officer of El Paso Corporation, which owned and operated North America’s largest natural gas pipeline system.
Foshee earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Jesse H. Jones School of Rice University in 1992 and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Southwest Texas State University in 1982. He is also a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University.
Foshee and his family have been actively involved in civic and philanthropic endeavors for many years. The founder of two nonprofits, Foshee currently serves on KIPP Texas – Houston Regional Board, Good Reason Houston, Rice University’s Board of Trustees, and the Council of Overseers at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University.
Foshee also serves on the boards of Marathon Oil Corporation, Texas Business Hall of Fame Foundation, The Welch Foundation and Houston Endowment Inc. In 2012, Foshee was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
Jeff Shaddix brings 15 years of experience serving leading public and private sector organizations across a range of sectors and topics. At the Boston Consulting Group, Shaddix was part of the Consumer and Digital leadership teams for North America. He is also active in the public sector and education practices including experience with early childhood, K-12, and higher education. Shaddixis deeply committed to the Houston community and led BCG Houston’s social impact efforts collaborating closely with community partners including the United Way of Greater Houston, the Houston Food Bank, YES Prep Public Schools, and the Greater Houston Partnership where he serves on the Higher Education committee and is actively engaged with UpSkill Houston.
Shaddix holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and his BBA and master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Texas at Austin.
Jill Jewett is Vice President and Director of the Finger Companies, a multi-family development company. Prior to becoming involved in both the company’s management and development operations, she was President of Jewett Consulting, focusing on strategic work with non-profit organizations and developing community-building projects.
Jewett holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art History and American Studies from the University of Virginia and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Jesse H. Jones School of Rice University.
She is currently on the board of UTHealth Houston, and her recent board involvements include the Houston Parks Board, the Houston Zoo, and the Houston Independent School District Foundation. Past board memberships include the Greater Houston Community Foundation, St. John’s School, and the Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Jim Postl is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Pennzoil-Quaker State Company.
Prior to Pennzoil, he served as president of Nabisco Biscuit Company from 1996 to 1998 and was president and chief executive officer of Nabisco International from 1994 to 1996. Prior to Nabisco, Postl held a variety of management positions with PepsiCo, Inc. and Procter & Gamble Company.
He currently serves on the boards of American Funds, Society for the Performing Arts, Houston Zoo, Holdsworth Governing Board, and Greater Houston Partnership. He is past chairman of the national board of the American Heart Association and past chair of the AHA SouthWest Affiliate, and currently serving as chairman of Memorial Hermann Foundation and Foundation for Jones Hall. He also serves on the Council of Overseers for Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University.
José Villarreal is an experienced nonprofit executive and senior public administrator. He is semi-retired, has a nonprofit consulting service and holds board leadership positions. His services focus on executive recruitment and coaching, strategic planning, and board engagement.
He has served as the executive director of two Houston major nonprofit organizations, SERJobs and AVANCE Houston. He also held senior executive positions with METRO and Houston Community College. He currently chairs a community development Board and serves on the HCA Gulf Coast Advisory Board and Latino Education. He previously chaired committees for the American Public Transportation Association and the Gulf Coast Workforce Board.
Villarreal was recognized for creative private sector partnerships by the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Transportation. He has served on national policy task forces around workforce innovation and early childhood education.
Villarreal is married to Sylvia. They enjoy time with their 2 grandchildren and traveling.
Manolo Sánchez is currently a director at Fannie Mae (FNM), OnDeck Capital (ONDK) and Stewart Information Systems (STC), after having served as Chairman & CEO of BBVA Compass for 10 years. At Rice University’s Jones School of Business, he teaches disruption in financial services with a focus on crypto currencies and blockchain. Manolo is an advisor to several fintech and blockchain start ups.
Sánchez volunteers is an emeritus trustee and past Chair of the Post Oak Montessori School board, as well as a director of KIPP Texas, Brighter Bites, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Houston Grand Opera and the Houston Symphony.
A graduate of Yale University, Sánchez earned master’s degrees from the London School of Economics and the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium.
A native of Murica, Spain, Sánchez first came to the U.S. as a high school exchange student. In addition to English and Spanish, he speaks French, German and Arabic. A naturalized U.S. citizen, he lives in Houston with his wife and three children.
Peter Rodriguez is dean of the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University in Houston, Texas. He is also an economist and professor and teaches classes on global macroeconomics and economic growth and development.
An active researcher, Rodriguez’s research interests include the interaction of globalization, economic development, and social institutions, the consequences of corruption for multinationals and seed-stage finance in emerging markets. He was previously professor and senior associate dean for MBA Programs and chief diversity officer at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, lecturer at Princeton University, and a professor at the Mays School of Business at Texas A&M University.
Rodriguez holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and a B.S. in economics from Texas A&M University. He worked for several years as an associate in the Global Energy Group at JP Morgan Chase.
Polly Whittle is a former computer science and math teacher having taught students from grades 6-12, adults in community colleges, and executives and other professionals through special classes, certifications, and private tutoring. She also worked as a computer analyst for a banking software company and a defense subcontractor.
Whittle has extensive Board and other leadership experience over the years, including serving on the Discovery Green Park Board and chairing the Advancement Committee, the Board of the Kinder Foundation, Class Parent Lead at St John’s School (Houston) for numerous classes, and Women’s Ministry Leader in her church, among others.
Whittle has an undergraduate degree (B.S.) in mathematics from Vanderbilt University and a Masters of Arts in Education with a concentration in mathematics (M.A.Ed.) from Wake Forest University. She also is the mother of three now-adult children, and she currently enjoys volunteering as a mentor to elementary school students in the Spring Branch School District.
Sebastien Solar currently serves as Houston Market President for Commerce Bank. Prior to his current role at Commerce Bank, Solar served as Commercial Banking Manager for Bank of Texas, and led the US Maritime, Ports and Logistics division for JPMorgan Chase.
Solar currently serves on the Board of Directors of Children’s Museum of Houston, The Herman Park Conservancy, The Houston Arts Alliance, and the Trinity University Board of Visitors.
Solar has previously served on the Board of Directors of Children at Risk, Piñata Books, and led multiple corporate campaigns for the United Way of Houston.
Solar is married to Rachel Solar, with whom he has three children – Sebastien, Beauregard, and Pia.
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