Dr. Grenita Lathan
Interim Superintendent HISD
April 25, 2019
HESS Club
5430 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77056
5430 Westheimer
Houston, TX 77056
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Dr. Grenita Lathan was named interim superintendent of the Houston Independent School District in March 2018, becoming the first African-American woman to serve as superintendent in HISD.
In 1991, Dr. Lathan began her career in education as a teacher at Morehead High School in Eden, N.C. While in North Carolina, she also served as both assistant principal and principal at other campuses. In 2008, she was named chief elementary school improvement officer of the San Diego Unified School District and then interim deputy superintendent in 2009.
Dr. Lathan was then named the superintendent of Peoria Public Schools in 2010, where she oversaw approximately 14,000 students and 2,700 staff members. Five years later in 2015, Dr. Lathan moved to Houston and served as HISD’s chief school officer over elementary transformation schools for a year. During this time, she led more than 20 schools out of an “improvement required” state rating to a “met standard” rating. During the 2016-2017 school year, she served as HISD’s chief academic officer.
Dr. Lathan holds a bachelor’s degree in business education from North Carolina A&T State University, a master’s degree in business education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a doctoral degree from Southern Illinois University.
In 1991, Dr. Lathan began her career in education as a teacher at Morehead High School in Eden, N.C. While in North Carolina, she also served as both assistant principal and principal at other campuses. In 2008, she was named chief elementary school improvement officer of the San Diego Unified School District and then interim deputy superintendent in 2009.
Dr. Lathan was then named the superintendent of Peoria Public Schools in 2010, where she oversaw approximately 14,000 students and 2,700 staff members. Five years later in 2015, Dr. Lathan moved to Houston and served as HISD’s chief school officer over elementary transformation schools for a year. During this time, she led more than 20 schools out of an “improvement required” state rating to a “met standard” rating. During the 2016-2017 school year, she served as HISD’s chief academic officer.
Dr. Lathan holds a bachelor’s degree in business education from North Carolina A&T State University, a master’s degree in business education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a doctoral degree from Southern Illinois University.
Commissioner R. Jack Cagle
Harris County Precinct 4
HESS Club
June 20, 2019
Commissioner R. Jack Cagle has served as county commissioner for Harris County Precinct 4 since 2011. He was re-elected in 2014 and again on November 6, 2018.
As commissioner, Cagle represents nearly 1.3 million residents and manages a staff of 433 employees with a Precinct 4 budget of $283.5 million.
He has spent 30 years working with and serving the citizens of Harris County Precinct 4 as an attorney, elected judge, and now county commissioner.
As a member of Commissioners Court, he has also been selected to serve as a representative on the board of the Houston-Galveston Area Council and on the Board of Directors of the statewide Public Power Pool.
Until his appointment to Commissioners Court, Cagle served 11 years as judge of Harris County Civil Court-at Law No. 1. Harris County voters elected him to the bench countywide in 2000 and re-elected him in 2002, 2006, and 2010.
As judge, Commissioner Cagle consistently earned high ratings from the Houston Bar Association and received numerous awards from legal, business, political, and community groups. Twice recognized as “Judge of the Year” by law enforcement groups, Cagle was also recognized by the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston and served as an officer in the Association of Women Attorneys. He was elected by his peers to be administrative judge for the County Civil Courts and as president of the Texas Association of County Court at Law Judges.
Commissioner Cagle is a graduate of Rice University with triple majors in economics, history, and managerial studies, as well as a graduate of Baylor Law School. He is married to Janet and they have three children: Richard, Victoria, and Elizabeth.
The Rotary Club of Houston is a group of business leaders working together collaboratively to impact positive change in our community and around the world, operating consistently with Rotary's motto of Service Above Self. Some of our service projects include:
- Rotary Distinguished Citizen Award is presented annually to someone in Houston who exhibits high ideals, leadership and philanthropy. The funds raised support the club’s on-going service activities.
- Camp Enterprise is an annual activity that introduces business and business ethics to 75 high school juniors. The funds for this event are raised with an annual golf tournament.
- Burnett Bayland Outreach has delivered personal support and mentoring to at-risk children at the county run resident.
The club also works actively in many other areas including mentoring elementary school youth, giving assistance to ex-offenders, and international projects, including Polio Plus.
The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
- FIRST - The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
- SECOND - High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
- THIRD - The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
- FOURTH - The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
From the earliest days of the organization, Rotarians were concerned with promoting high ethical standards in their professional lives. One of the world's most widely printed and quoted statements of business ethics is The Four-Way Test, which was created in 1932 by Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor (who later served as RI president) when he was asked to take charge of a company that was facing bankruptcy. This 24-word test for employees to follow in their business and professional lives became the guide for sales, production, advertising, and all relations with dealers and customers, and the survival of the company is credited to this simple philosophy. Adopted by Rotary in 1943, The Four-Way Test has been translated into more than a hundred languages and published in thousands of ways. It asks the following four questions: "Of the things we think, say or do:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
AND AS THE ROTARY CLUB OF HOUSTON SAYS
5. Will it be FUN!
