Chris Reed Foundation formed to provide help for area students

December 1st, 2019

Jana Reed, center, and her daughters, Logan, left, and Aleis arrive at the Chris Reed Foundation founding party at the Carl Joiner home in Kemah.

By Mary Alys Cherry

Nearly a hundred family and friends of the late Chris Reed gathered Oct. 24 to celebrate the formation of the Chris Reed Foundation, established to provide financial assistance for Bay Area high school students, by helping them prepare for college or vocational school.

Reed, the Kemah police chief at the time of his death, died after falling off a boat this past June when it was hit by a gigantic wave as he and his wife were enjoying a weekend sail on Galveston Bay.

The celebration, held at the Kemah home of Carl and Colene Joiner, began with a toast by the board of directors to kick-off the not-for-profit organization, while also paying tribute to Chris Reed.

“The Chris Reed Foundation was established as a means to bolster teen success through monetary assistance and mentorship,” said Joiner, a board member. “We seek to support juniors and seniors as they prepare for graduation, college or vocational programs.”

Reed’s death left the Bay Area community in shock as he had touched many lives along the way. He was a Clear Creek ISD trustee, a dad, a wrestling coach, a former city manager of both League City and Nassau Bay, and a former assistance police chief in League City. Many of those lives were young kids in need of direction that he helped.

Clear Creek ISD Deputy Superintendent Dr. Steven Ebell, right, swaps memories of Chris Reed with, from left, Realtor Jonathan Cottrell, South Shore Harbour Resort General Manager Roy Green and Vinyl Draught Radio President Doug Meisinger.

His wife Jana met with a number of community members on July 30 – the Reeds’ 29th wedding anniversary — to plan the foundation.

“This is about helping someone who maybe doesn›t have the best home life, who couldn›t necessarily afford their cap and gown or their senior pictures. That’s what we want to do. Help those who need a little push,” she said.

Jana Reed serves as chairman of the Chris Reed Foundation and her oldest daughter, Logan, is vice chairman. The scholarship program aims to provide financial assistance for high school students in the Bay Area. Donations could go toward graduation expenses, application fees, school supplies, tutoring, among other needs.

The Foundation’s slogan, “From Adversity to Achievement” focuses on high school students, particularly those with lower socioeconomic status, and provides resources to enhance future scholastic and professional success, Kimberly Campbell pointed out.

While the Founding Members event was the first formal fundraising activity for the foundation, students from CCISD’s Bauerschlag Elementary previously collected nearly $1,500 through a coin drive, Campbell said. These funds, as well as the $25,000 raised at the kick-off event, will soon be made available through application submittal on school district systems such as Naviance.

“My father would have been proud to see so many join forces in support of a cause near and dear to his heart,” Logan said. A golf tournament and bike rally are next on the fundraising schedule. For those wanting to make a personal contribution in support of the region’s youth or to learn more about the organization, go to the website, www.ChrisReedFoundation.com

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Bay Area bids farewell to Kemah police chief

July 2nd, 2019

The Bay Area said goodbye to one of its most admired citizens, Kemah Police Chief Chris Reed, at a memorial service Friday, June 14 at the Clear Creek Community Church on Egret Bay Boulevard which links League City with Clear Lake City and Nassau Bay — three of the areas he served over his years here.

By Mary Alys Cherry

Reed was killed June 7 as he and his wife were out on a boating excursion in Galveston Bay. When a large vessel passed by, creating a giant wave, he was thrown from the boat and apparently knocked unconscious and drowned.

Over the years, Reed served as Nassau Bay city manager, League City city administrator and as its assistant police chief; and most recently as Kemah police chief. He also served as a trustee on the Clear Creek ISD school board, which recently elected him secretary.

Speakers at the service included Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith, who called Reed “a man of service;” the church pastor, Dr. Bruce Wesley, who described Reed as “a life well lived in serving others;” Reed’s daughter, Logan Reed; Reed’s friend Richard Rennison; and Nassau Bay Finance Director Csilla Ludanyi, who spoke on behalf of Reed’s wife, Jana, a CCISD school teacher. Some 500 law enforcement officers attended.

After the service, police, family and friends formed a procession that passed by different spots around the area that were important to the chief, first heading south on FM 270 to Highway 96, then east to Highway 146 past the Kemah Police Department and Kemah City Hall, and along NASA Road 1 near the Nassau Bay City Hall.

Reed was born Charles Christopher Reed on Oct. 6, 1968, in Princeton, Ind. After high school, he served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper, graduated from the Military Police Academy and was certified as a military policeman. Reed and his wife Jana were high school sweethearts. She was a cheerleader, and he was a wrestler. They were married July 20, 1990 and have three children, Jana, Chase and Alexis. He is also survived by his parents.

After rising to the rank of sergeant in the Army and being honorably discharged, he joined the League City Police Department in 1991 and rose to the rank of assistant chief before being named city administrator of League City. While with League City, he graduated from the FBI National Academy Command College and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from LeTourneau University and earned his Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration from Sam Houston State University.

He also was active in a number of community organizations, such as the Clear Creek Education Foundation, Communities in Schools-Bay Area, the League City Lions Club, Bay Area Alliance and Hope Village.

In 2009, he began a six-year stint as city manager of Nassau Bay, before starting his own consulting agency in 2015, and then a couple of years later back to public service with the Kemah Police Department.

As former Kemah Mayor Carl Joiner said after the service, “he left an imprint on so many people.”

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New CCISD trustees sworn in

July 1st, 2017

New CCISD Trustees Arturo Sanchez, left, and Chris Reed.

By Mary Alys Cherry

The Clear Creek ISD Board of Trustees welcomed two new faces at its May meeting after Chris Reed, representing District 2, and Arturo Sanchez, representing District 3, were sworn in before the start of the meeting.

Reed ran unopposed for the District 2 seat formerly occupied by Win Weber, who chose not to seek reelection. Sanchez won the District 3 seat in a race with incumbent Ken Baliker.

Earlier, trustees elected new officers for the coming year with Dr. Laura DuPont passing the gavel to new President Page Rander, who formerly served as vice president. Dr. DuPont was elected vice president and Jay Cunningham secretary.

Much of the meeting was devoted to shining the spotlight on outstanding students such as the several dozen who are Robonauts and who won Second Place in the World in the 2017 FIRST World Championship after taking First Place in the Texas FIRST competition for the second year in a row.

Others included Clear Lake High student Nicholas Glaze, who earned a perfect score on his ACT Test; Clear Creek High’s Isabel Hu took first place in the Letters About Literature state writing competition; artwork by Jeffrey Lin and Dominic Nguyen were selected for display in the offices of Congressmen Brian Babin and Randy Weber; and Izyan Maredia of Ed White Elementary earned first place in the Robots of the Future Contest.

In other action, trustees:

  • Increased the price of school lunches for the coming year from $2.25 to $2.35;
  • Approved a number of capital projects including $2.7 million for renovations at Clear Path Alternative School; $30,000 for asbestos abatement and flooring in the Clear Lake Intermediate art rooms; $221,000 for renovation of the Spring Sports Building and Band Hall foundation at Clear Creek High;
  • Renewed contracts totaling $700,000 with a number of air conditioning and heating contractors;
  • OK’d expenditure of $69,400 for the renewal of the contract for the GPS system for school buses;
  • Agreed to spend $3.5 million for 2017 instruction materials, such as new, replacement and used textbooks, workbooks, digital and hardcopy textbooks and other related materials;
  • Voted to spend $284,200 to contract with the Harris County Education Department to provide services at Academic and Behavior Schools for students with disabilities, to meet the significant needs of the most behaviorally involved students;
  • Awarded to a $62,000 contract with Whitley Penn LLP for the annual financial audit and a $60,000 contract to SouthWaste Disposal for Grease Trap Cleaning services;
  • Voted to spend $615,000 for repairs to the Education Support Center, and to replace windows and install waterproofing;
  • Approved a $178,000 contract with Generocity Services to construct a Spark Park behind Wedgewood Elementary using Spark Park grant funds, PTA donations and those from other fundraising efforts;
  • OK’d several architectural contracts for renovations and repairs listed in the 2017 bond referendum including $260,000 to IBI Group for work at Armand Bayou Elementary and $507,000 for work at Clear Lake Intermediate; $842,000 to Joiner Architects for work at Clear Lake City Elementary; $19,500 to PBK Architects to improve security systems at all schools and $439,000 for surveillance cameras; $4.3 million to VLK Architects for three projects — construction of the new elementary school, the rebuild of League City Elementary and additions and renovations to Stewart Elementary in Clear Lake Shores.

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Chris Reed to run for CCISD seat

January 18th, 2017

Notable Bay Area Houston leader and businessman, Chris Reed, is throwing his hat in the ring, running for the District 2 School Board Trustee position for Clear Creek Independent School District.

The seat becomes vacant for the May 2017 election when current board member, Win Weber, who is not seeking reelection, completes her term.

“The entire CCISD community would greatly benefit by having Chris as a member of the board of trustees,” said Dee Scott, former CCISD Board president. “His outstanding performance record as a 25-year government employee, along with the extensive experience he has from innumerable CCISD committees and community service organizations, makes him ideally suited for this position.”

Reed is currently the interim chief of police for the City of Kemah, a temporary role he took on to assist the department as they conducted a search for a permanent chief. He recently retired from the City of Nassau Bay as city manager, a position he held since 2009.

His law enforcement career began in 1991 with the League City Police Department, where he progressed through the ranks, serving as assistant chief of police and, later, city administrator. Reed also served in the U.S Army as a military police officer and was a paratrooper.

CCISD board members are committed to serving the children and citizens of the school district, with the goal of providing a high-quality education that meets the needs of the community.

“Chris is a true champion for our youth,” Scott added. “He has held numerous leadership roles in child-focused philanthropic organizations for nearly two decades, including the Clear Creek Education Foundation, Communities in Schools, Bay Area Alliance for Youth and Families, Hope Village, Lion’s Club and several CCISD campus improvement councils and school naming committees.”

25-year resident

Reed thoroughly appreciates the quality of life available in Bay Area Houston and touts the exceptional schools as one of the biggest economic development drivers. “As a member of this community for more than 25 years, I have proudly watched my three children learn and thrive at CCISD,” said Reed. “My wife, Jana, has taught school in the district for 15 years, an employer she considers as part of our family.”

“CCISD deserves the recognition it has received for being ranked the best large school district in the Houston metropolitan area,” Reed said. “With an outstanding academic performance rating and a dropout rate of only 0.3 percent, it is clear that teachers, administrators, staff and parents place an emphasis on quality education throughout our community. However, the rising rate of economically disadvantaged students and the tightening of state budgets are concerning. We need to ensure quality education and associated district services remain available and funded.”

To address funding and its impact on education, Reed seeks to spearhead solutions that include public and private partnerships and more unconventional funding sources to alleviate the burden on taxpayers. He also intends to improve relationships with area municipalities who also draw on the same tax dollars.

“Chris is one of those rare people who has the experience, motivation and contacts to advance our area’s educational system,” said Kemah Mayor Carl Joiner. “His budgetary and strategic planning experience is immensely valuable to the district, and we, as residents and business owners, couldn’t ask for a more astute addition to an already competent board.”

CCISD educates nearly 42,000 students. The District 2 board position is centrally located within CCISD boundaries and includes residents in both Harris and Galveston Counties. While not officially announced, election day is anticipated to be held on Saturday, May 13, 2017. To learn more about Chris Reed and his candidacy, visit www.votechrisreed.com.

About Chris Reed

A passionate leader and youth advocate, Chris Reed has garnered more than 25 years of experience with municipal governments, including 15 years as a city manager and assistant police chief. His business acumen, strategic thinking and dedication to community has been recognized through various awards including the Melvin Jones Fellowship for his commitment to humanitarian work.

He was selected by the Shepperd Leadership Institute of the University of Texas-Permian Basin as Texas’ 2012 Outstanding Local Leader and was a finalist for the University of Houston Public Official of the Year in 2015. Chris is a graduate of Sam Houston State University with a Master of Science in criminal justice administration. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from LeTourneau University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy Command College.

He owns Chris Reed Consulting, providing local government, business and executive security consulting services. He and his wife of 26 years, Jana, share their lives with three children, Logan, Alexis and Chase.

When not in the office or attending committee meetings, Reed can be found on the wrestling mat where he coaches numerous local youth. He recently founded the Houston Area Wrestling Foundation, an organization that provides opportunities to the area’s lower socio-economic wrestlers. He seeks to help kids improve self-confidence, discipline and good sportsmanship. He believes that these traits lead to enhanced personal responsibility, stronger reasoning skills and a healthier, happier physical and mental wellbeing.

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