Houston, TX March 8, 2005

Project GRAD Founder To Receive Civic Leadership Award

For Immediate Release Contact: Melissa Carroll
Work (832) 325-0301
Cell (713) 253-6953

The Center for Houston’s Future, an affiliate of the Greater Houston Partnership, will honor Project GRAD Founder James L. Ketelsen as the 2005 recipient of the Eugene H. Vaughan Civic Leadership Award at its Annual Luncheon on March 8th, 2005 at the Hilton Americas- Houston. The Civic Leadership Award is presented annually to an individual whose lifetime work has significantly shaped the future of the Houston region.

James (Jim) Ketelsen is well known in Houston for his distinguished career in business serving as Chairman and CEO of Tenneco Inc. from 1978 to 1992. But it has been his dedication to civic involvement that has created a lasting legacy of business civic leadership worthy of this recognition.

Ketelsen’s unique blend of business civic leadership is captured by Project GRAD’s Ann Stiles, Senior Director of Academic Programs— “I am sure Mr. Ketelsen’s business background helped to forge the necessary partnerships and access every available asset to turn his vision (of Project GRAD) into a national reform model it is today. But it is his heart that allows him to see the world of possibility in every child he encounters. And it must be a magnificent combination of the two, the businessman and the humanitarian, that continues to shape and refine Project GRAD to be relevant and responsive to the demand of the day.”

While Mr. Ketelsen is best known for his commitment to education and improving the lives of young people through Project GRAD, his civic involvements reach far beyond into Houston’s quality of life and economic vitality. James (Jim) Ketelsen was a Founding Board member of Central Houston Inc., and served as the Chair for the fundraising efforts for the Buffalo Bayou Sesquicentennial Park. Looking around today at the growing support to enhance Houston’s quality of place we can now see the foresight of Ketelsen’s civic vision.

The primary idea that has guided Jim Ketelsen’s civic efforts is that the heart of economic health and a strong democracy is found in public education. As Founder of Project GRAD, Jim Ketelsen has led the development of a comprehensive approach to educating young people, empowering teachers and engaging families to create higher expectations for academic achievement.

Project GRAD is currently operating in 71 schools with 48,000 Hispanic and African-American children in Houston. Today, Project GRAD student college graduate rates are nearly twice the national average of 26% for economically disadvantaged students. Jim Ketelsen has been at the center of this shift in Houston bringing together stakeholders and aligning resources to address the most important problem facing our city and our nation today.

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About the Center for Houston’s Future

Center for Houston’s Future’s mission is two-fold: to identify, inform and engage business leaders in civic involvement; and to facilitate the development and implementation of long-range initiatives for the Houston region.

In the area of leadership engagement, Center for Houston’s Future remains committed to “deepening the bench and widening the circle” of our region’s base of civic leaders. To date more than 250 business/civic leaders have participated in nine Civic Leadership Forums. In the area of strategic planning, CHF continues to play a critical role of convening key stakeholders in addressing topics such as human capital development, enhancing our region’s quality of place, and strengthening our position as a 21st century crossroad in the global economy.