Leadership ISD, a nonpartisan education nonprofit that champions school board policies and practices to improve outcomes for all students, announces plans for a CEO transition in 2022.
The organization has announced that founder and CEO Patricia Arvanitis will work with the board of directors and team to identify a new leader this year.
Leadership ISD is a statewide nonprofit organization that equips community leaders to advance academic excellence and racial equity in public education through advocacy, policy, and school board governance. LISD has trained over 2,500 advocates and 100’s of school board trustees that serve 1.6 million public school students in Dallas, Tarrant, and Harris Counties—representing one-third of public school students in Texas.
The organization, which also works to eliminating systemic opportunity gaps for children marginalized by race and poverty, will search for a leader to continue refining its existing programs, expand into new geographic areas and empower the team to make greater impact in more communities.
Arvanitis co-founded Leadership ISD based on the belief that race and income should not determine a child’s destiny, and has served as its CEO for almost 10 years. Her departure comes at a time when she views the organization as being at a good place to move into the next phase of its growth and impact.
The nonprofit’s mission, vision, and values will continue to serve as the foundation for its growth under new leadership.
“We are so grateful for Patricia’s vision for Leadership ISD and the incredible organization she has built over the past decade,” says Amy Isom, board president for Leadership ISD. “The organization has matured and is in a solid position, making the timing right for this type of transition. Our search will take some time as this role is critical, and thankfully Patricia will remain an active part of our team until the right leader is identified to guide the organization into its next phase of evolution and growth.”
Executives interested in being considered for the CEO position should contact staffing@leadershipisd.org.