Briggs appointed executive director of Educate Texas

DALLAS, Texas – Communities Foundation of Texas has announced the selection of Kerri Briggs as the new executive director of Educate Texas.

Educate Texas oversees the work of RGV FOCUS, a collective impact initiative in the Rio Grande Valley.

Briggs will also become a CFT executive leadership team member. 

CFT says it conducted an extensive five-month search following the departure of John Fitzpatrick, the longtime Educate Texas executive director.

Briggs will join CFT on December 2 and will be based in Dallas at the CFT headquarters. 

Wayne White, CFT’s president and CEO said that as executive director, Briggs will provide strategic vision and operational management of Educate Texas in leading a transformation of Texas’ public and higher education systems to prepare students for success in school, the workforce, and in life.  

“Building partnerships as a means of success has been a focus of Kerri’s career and this role will benefit from her strength in strategic organizational and financial leadership, external relationships, and deep understanding of Texas systems,” White said. “Her experience in collaborating with educators, stakeholders, donors, policymakers, and elected leaders makes her an exceptional candidate for this role. Kerri has the right experience to lead Educate Texas now and into the future in support of students and educators throughout the state.” 

According to a CFT press release, Briggs is a seasoned professional with extensive expertise in federal and state government, K-12 education, higher education, and corporate social responsibility. Most recently, she served as the chief of staff for Houston ISD, the largest district in Texas and eighth largest in the US. 

Before joining the HISD team, Briggs was a partner at Cicero Group, where she led projects across industries in the social impact and K-12 sectors. There she worked alongside partners to measure, evaluate, and implement strategies that realize change.  

“I am truly honored to join Educate Texas and Communities Foundation of Texas. The opportunity to improve our critically important public system of education for students in my home state is why I pursued this role,” Briggs said. “Schools and public education are a promise and an investment that our country makes to young people and their future – we must get it right. I look forward to building on Educate Texas’ strong history and reputation while bringing a fresh perspective to our work that supports education here locally and across the state.”  

Matrice Ellis-Kirk, chair of the Educate Texas committee, also commented on the appointment. She said:

“Not only does Kerri have an impressive career, she has been actively involved in education policy as well as local and national boards dedicated to communities and improved social outcomes. We believe CFT’s Educate Texas will see significant benefit and growth from Kerri’s expertise. What she’s accomplished thus far in her career is truly inspiring. We are eager for what she will make possible for Texas students and families through her leadership of Educate Texas.” 

More biographical details on Kerri Briggs:

Prior to joining Cicero Group, Briggs served as the education program and policy officer for ExxonMobil, where she managed the education grant-making portfolio and provided policy advice on issues related to teacher quality, state standards, and federal policy issues. Her prior role as the founding Director of Education Reform at the George W. Bush Institute was what brought her back to Texas after nine years in Washington, D.C.  

Briggs also served as State Superintendent of Education for Washington D.C., where she led the state system that included early childhood education, school food services, federal K-12 policy and finances, and higher education programming. In this role, she managed $100 million in local and $550 million in federal funding and was the liaison to the State Board of Education, D.C. City Council, and the Mayor’s Office.

Briggs was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education and was confirmed in June 2007, where she played a pivotal role in policy and management issues affecting students. That role capped off nearly eight years of service at the U.S Department of Education (USDE), where she was involved in policy creation and implementation, state engagement, regulatory development, and budget creation and administration.  

In addition to roles at the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the USDE, she held positions in the Office of the Deputy Secretary, and Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development. 

Briggs earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy and a master’s degree in public policy, both from the University of Southern California. She earned her B.A. from Stephen F. Austin State University.

About Communities Foundation of Texas:   

The mission of Communities Foundation of Texas is to improve the lives of all people in our community by investing in their health, wealth, living, and learning. Communities Foundation works to accomplish this by growing community giving, expanding community impact, and advancing community equity. With a vision of building thriving communities for all, Communities Foundation works locally and across the state with many individuals, families, companies, foundations, and nonprofits through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking initiatives. Communities Foundation professionally manages more than 1,300 charitable funds and has awarded more than $2.5 billion in grants since its founding in 1953.        

Communities Foundation is committed to serving and understanding donor needs, expertly handling complex gifts, wisely managing charitable funds, and leveraging its community knowledge to increase charitable impact, in addition to powering several initiatives including the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund, Center for Business Impact, Educate Texas, Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy, GiveWisely, and North Texas Giving Day. Learn more at CFTexas.org.

About Educate Texas

Educate Texas, an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas, is a trusted change agent in Texas education, working through programs and policies to ensure every Texas student is prepared in the school, in the workforce, and in life. Since 2003, Educate Texas has partnered with school districts, institutions of higher education, businesses, community and civic organizations, state agencies, and policymakers to strengthen the public and higher education systems for all Texas students.

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