“The founding of Houstonworks was based on public private partnerships, and that’s what Kathy Whitmire was all about. She envisioned an organization whereby you take the best of the public sector and the best of the private sector and you would put them together and that you would provide Houstonians an opportunity to work and that’s exactly what we’ve done.”
Whitmire, who served as mayor from 1982 to 1991, now lives in Hawaii. She says the organization continues to change with the times.
“The basic job of Houstonworks is to help people prepare for jobs and help them find those jobs, and I think its important to have representation from all aspects of the community, particularly from employers and representatives of the business community, and Houstonworks still does that.”
The award will be presented this evening at the organization’s 25th anniversary gala at the Hilton Americas hotel.