Powerful Houston Group Makes a $45 Million Pledge to Provide a High Quality Education For All Students in the Bayou City

The powerful contingent of community and corporate leadership that attended Good Reason Houston’s inaugural “Be the Reason” cocktail fundraiser gave credence to the conviction that providing all Houston school children with high quality education is necessary for the city’s growth, advancement and stability as well as for the future of those students.

More than 600 involved citizens gathered at POST Houston to hear from founding CEO Alex Elizondo about the current state of public education in the nation’s fourth largest city and the support that is needed to help ensure that every child in every neighborhood excels in a world class public school and thrives in the Houston of tomorrow.

 “After four years of initial impact, Good Reason Houston is prepared to scale the depth and breadth of its work in our community,” Good Reason Houston founding board chair Scott McClelland told the gathering. “Driving this work forward will require significant funding and I am proud to share that Good Reason Houston is publicly launching our new campaign to raise and invest $45 million in the transformation and creation of more great public schools in every neighborhood in Houston by 2026 because we don’t have time to wait.”

The nonprofit works alongside public school districts to grow the number of quality public schools in the city through strategic consulting, impact investing, community organizing and public policy.

The event was also occasion to celebrate Aldine ISD superintendent Dr. LaTonya Goffney with the Leadership Is Optimism Award for her leadership in setting high expectations ensuring that students in Aldine ISD succeed. 

A look at Good Reason Houston’s impressive board of directors brings home the importance of the mission — Bobby Tudor, Artemis Energy Partners CEO; Ann Stern, president and CEO of Houston Endowment; Peter Rodriguez, dean and professor at Rice University’s graduate school of business; Nancy Kinder, president and CEO of the Kinder Foundation; Manolo Sánchez, Fannie Mae director; among others.

The event was sponsored by Academy Sports + Outdoors, H-E-B, Susan Sarofim and the Bristow Group.

PC Seen: Board members Greater Houston Partnership president and CEO Bob Harvey, Commerce Bank Houston Market president Sebastien Solar, The Wilson Collective CEO Darryl Wilson, former CEO and president of  Pennzoil-Quaker State Company Jim Postl, managing director of BCG Jeff Shaddix, Stern, and Kinder; plus Gwen and Ed Emmett, Stephen Klineberg, Rich Kinder, Danny David, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Karl Stern, Ileana and Michael Trevino, Rachel Solar, Cynthia and Mac Walker, and Giselle Wilson.