The Victoria ISD is excited to welcome Robin Harkey back to the VISD Education Foundation where she will serve in her prior role as the Executive Director.
The Executive Director is responsible for the planning, direction, development, administration, supervision and implementation of a comprehensive internal and external development program that will complement and provide financial assistance toward the funding of the VISD Education Foundation.
In addition to her primary responsibilities, Harkey will resume her responsibilities for the monthly STARS campaign and a large-scale annual fundraiser. The monthly STARS campaign honors one VISD teacher and one VISD staff member nominated by their peers for going above and beyond in their everyday work. The fundraiser each year is used to fund grants, including the Foundation’s Grants for Great Ideas, and scholarships to graduating VISD seniors.
Under Harkey in January 2021, the VISD Education Foundation conducted the Bright Ideas Telethon. During this two-hour event, more than $63,000 was raised to benefit students and faculty in VISD. In February 2022, the foundation hosted Michael Carbonaro, American actor, magician and improv artist, at the Victoria Fine Arts Center and raised more than $53,000, despite the pandemic.
To date, Harkey has been responsible for securing more than $1.5 million for the VISD Education Foundation and VISD.
Harkey holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Texas State University, a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from Texas A&M University and a Master of Education in Organizational Leadership from the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV).
Immediately prior to the VISD Education Foundation, Harkey worked for UHV as a Grant Development Coordinator where she secured more than $1 million for the university. Harkey secured funded proposals from the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, to name a few.