Communities In Schools of Houston gets new CEO

A Houston nonprofit is under new leadership with the beginning of the new year. Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS), which partners with education leaders to support students on campuses across Greater Houston, officially bid farewell to CEO Cynthia Clay Briggs, who retired after 40 years with CIS, on Jan. 7.

Filling her shoes is former Chief Operating Officer Lisa Descant. She takes on this role at a time when the nonprofit is seeing unprecedented demand for its services.

CIS has student support specialists embedded on 156 Houston-area campuses year-round to help more than 117,000 students annually in their times of need. From crisis intervention, trauma and mental health counseling to basic necessities and extra-curricular activities, CIS student support specialists do whatever it takes to help break down barriers to students’ success.

“As we expand partnerships with educators and other community leaders to support a record number of students facing challenges of all shapes and sizes, we are bolstering our services to meet unprecedented demands,” Descant said.

In the past 15 years with CIS, Descant has worked in elementary, middle and high schools and has served as a student support project manager, director of quality and standards, chief strategic officer and COO.

Descant said she realized her life purpose – to support students who are struggling so they can focus on achieving their full potential – while at The University of Texas at Austin. She was volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs as a college student when she was introduced to Communities In Schools. She went on to become a licensed professional counselor and marriage and family therapist, earning her master of psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University.