Partners and friends,
It feels a little audacious to squeak in an update to you at the beginning of a holiday week. But, on the other hand, the threshold of Thanksgiving feels like an appropriate time to reach out and say how grateful I am for you and the good work being done in our community. I also didn’t want to miss the chance to bring you up to speed on developments in the Prosper Waco world as well as announcing some exciting events, one of which is happening later today! (Find details about Baylor Club’s holiday market from 4-8 this evening *benefiting Prosper Waco* in the latter part of the newsletter. Here’s a link for tickets or you can even just get them at the door!)
Since we last wrote, our team is now fully staffed with the hire of our new Director of Marketing and Communications, Director of Health Initiatives, Director of Education and Workforce Initiatives, and Skill Navigator, two of whom you’ll hear from below, as they begin to dig into the work of collective impact around education and health in our community. I am truly thrilled about the makeup of this team, and I hope you’ll take a look at our directory to see their faces and learn about the unique experiences and backgrounds each brings to the table in our work together. We’re grateful for the grace and patience from all of you as we have been through a season of building, and we now stand ready to dive back into the important community work at hand!
While some of our team is brand-new, Prosper Waco is not. I remember clearly those early days of the inception of Prosper Waco, driven by the leadership of former Mayor Virginia DuPuy and others. The years do in fact fly by, and next year Prosper Waco will celebrate our 10th anniversary as an organization! We’ll have lots to share in the coming days about how we’ll be celebrating a decade of— and deepening our commitment to—service to our community, but in the meantime let me share an important date with you: Please save the date of October 24th on your 2024 calendars for the Prosper Waco 2024 Summit.
As we give thanks this week, I am reflecting on all the support and partnership that have made it possible for Prosper Waco to reach a full decade of collaborative work and collective impact to ensure that every member of our community has an opportunity to flourish. Thank you for your partnership, support, and your own passion for our community.
With deep gratitude & hope, Jessica
Jessica Attas
Chief Executive Officer