Janis Jarosz, Chair
Chief Brand Officer, Christian Brothers Automotive
M. Kaye DeWalt, Secretary
General Counsel, Aldine Independent School District
Frank Angelle, Treasurer
Owner, Kolache Factory Franchises
Retired EVP of Finance & Strategy, Cemex
Matt Assiff
Retired Finance Professional
Patricia Bonner
Retired Chair, Kinder HSPVA Vocal Music Department
Hon. Andrew Edison
United States Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Texas
Sally Edmundson
Actor and Philanthropist
Josh Pazda ’03
Partner, Josh Pazda Hiram Butler Gallery
Kimberly Hickson Spaw
Retired Principal Architect
Angie Eason, Chair
Director of Internal Communications and Engagement, CenterPoint Energy
Anna Eastman, Secretary
Licensed Master Social Worker
Former Texas State Representative
Former HISD Trustee
Dr. Catherine Horn, Treasurer
Dean, University of Houston College of Education
Victor Cardenas
Shareholder, Pappas Grubbs Price PC
Cristina Esquivel
Director of Asset Management, Griffin Partners Inc.
HSPVA has always been a pioneer in public arts education. We opened in 1971 as the nation’s first public school to bring performing arts, visual arts, and academic instruction together under one roof. Since then, our incredible community of faculty, staff, parents, students, and alumni has pushed us to think bigger and advocate to make the best arts education accessible for young artists across Houston.
In the 2026-2027 school year, we launched a thrilling new era. HISD has given Kinder HSPVA the opportunity to build on its success by governing our own daily operations. HSPVA Friends, the school’s partner for nearly 50 years, is now the official Operating Partner of Kinder HSPVA and is responsible for the school’s governance, finances, staffing, calendar, and curriculum. This collaboration gives Kinder HSPVA the freedom its students and teachers need to meet the unique demands of a pre-professional, conservatory-style arts school.
The cutting-edge governing structure is made possible through Texas Senate Bill 1882, which is grounded in the understanding that students at the state’s most innovative public schools benefit when decisions are made as close to the students as possible. This new level of autonomy is an incredible accomplishment, earned through the hard work of our students, teachers, and administrators over the past several decades, who have together created a legacy of innovation and success. When HISD approached Dr. Rivas with this opportunity, HSPVA Friends and school leadership carefully considered it and sought community input. The response was unequivocally enthusiastic. Our team is honored and ready to steward Kinder HSPVA’s legacy and future.
What matters most about Kinder HSPVA remains the same. We are still an HISD public school. Admission remains based on an equitable audition process that considers only artistic merit and potential. And our extraordinary faculty will continue providing the rigorous academic and arts instruction that has defined HSPVA for generations.
As HSPVA founder Ruth Denney said, “Education is an adventure in trust.” Thank you for your continued support and your trust. There are great things in store for the entire Kinder HSPVA community!
If you’d like to learn more about SB 1882, visit the Texas Partnerships website. You may also read HSPVA Friends’ partnership application and the executed contract between HSPVA Friends and HISD.
Alene has served as the Executive Director of HSPVA Friends since 2012. As a product of HISD magnet schools and an alumna of Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, she has a long-standing appreciation for the caliber of Houston’s exceptional arts high school. Under her leadership, HSPVA Friends’ annual budget has grown from $325,000 to $1.6 million. Before returning to Kinder HSPVA in her current role, Alene spent several years as a consultant with AndrisinAbbey, LLC, a boutique consulting firm for non-profit organizations, where she guided organizations through strategic growth of their development programs. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston University’s prestigious University Professors Program with a cross-disciplinary degree in the Management and Development of Non-Profit Organizations. Alene currently serves on the Board of the Bayou Bend Docent Organization.
Matthew is a Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts alumnus. From 2016-2019, he was HSPVA Friends’ Development Manager, and he helped strategize and implement the capital campaign for Kinder HSPVA’s downtown campus. He served as the Institutional Giving Manager at Stages and the Director of Relationship Management at Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas before returning to HSPVA Friends. Matthew graduated summa cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Theatre and Gender Studies. He holds an M.A. in Gender Studies from Utrecht University (Netherlands) and the University of Oviedo (Spain) and completed coursework towards a Ph.D. in Performance Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Matthew is a member of the Association for Fundraising Professionals and a founding member of the Media Metadata Research Lab, a San Francisco-based art research collective.
Josh is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of South Dakota, where he earned a Bachelor of Musical Arts with a minor in Business Administration. His background spans opera production, arts marketing, and non-profit operations, with roles at Generation Conscious, Music On Site Inc., and the South Dakota Student Federation, where he served as Executive Director. At USD, he was named Student Government Senator of the Year and selected for the President’s Senior Leadership Institute. Josh is currently pursuing an M.A. in Arts Leadership at the University of Houston.
Patrice is a third generation Houstonian with deep family roots in the city. She has extensive business, management, and corporate investment experience and has served on boards and as Treasurer of several non-profit organizations. Patrice holds Bachelor’s and Master’s of Business Administration degrees from the University of Texas and the Bauer School at University of Houston. She attended HISD primary and secondary schools.