H-E-B Chairman and CEO Charles Butt has announced the creation of The Holdsworth Center, a premier leadership institute based in Austin, Texas with the goal of supporting and developing public school leaders in order to improve, over time, the quality of education offered to every child in every classroom in Texas.
The Holdsworth Center will work with districts over a 5-year period to empower individual leaders — including superintendents, principals and key administrators — to reach their fullest potential. The Center staff and faculty will also assist districts in establishing a common vision and roadmap for identifying, cultivating and supporting future leaders.
The Holdsworth Center will operate as a non-profit organization and Mr. Butt has pledged to invest more than $100 million in its creation. The Center will be governed by a 17-member board chaired by Dr. Ruth Simmons, who served as president of Smith College from 1995 to 2001 and as president of Brown University from 2001 to 2012.
The first program will begin in June with six school districts. Anywhere from 15 to 20 districts will be invited to apply by Feb. 1 and notified of selection by the end of March. The first cohort is by invitation only, but in subsequent years the application process will be open to all districts. Strong applicants will have an existing commitment to human capital and talent development and strong alignment of vision among the superintendent, key cabinet members and the Board of Trustees.