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CAST’s Special Relationship with H-E-B

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This week I have been fangirling on H-E-B. It’s not because they once again were ranked top grocer in a national ranking, though that is certainly impressive.

 

Last week, I was invited to join a group of students from CAST Lead High School to visit the e-commerce fulfillment center (EFC) attached to the H-E-B store in Cibolo, Texas.

 

Before entering the EFC on a tour with EFC Director Mike Villanueva, students first heard about the company’s approach to curbside and store delivery. The General Manager of the Cibolo store stood in the back of the room listening as Villanueva and other partners shared their personal stories and offered leadership advice to a group of students studying e-commerce at this specialized high school. 

 

Asked by CAST Board member Katie Chain to introduce himself, Brian Durkin did not state his title. Rather, he said: “I serve the 400 partners here at the Cibolo store.”

 

This theme of service repeated in each presentation. Perishable Leader Daniel Conner described a journey with H-E-B that had taken him to the corporate offices, only to have him returning to a store because of his strong desire to serve people. These words echoed strongly for me, as two weeks ago we had the opportunity to visit H-E-B Chipinque, the company’s flagship store in Monterrey, Mexico.

 

Like our students, I was struck more by the commonalities of H-E-B Mexico than the differences, in part because I believe what makes H-E-B such a unique store is its values. Store leaders in Mexico took great pride in sharing about their version of San Antonio’s Feast of Sharing as well as other programs they have designed to give back to their community, noting their gratitude for the company’s familial culture and desire to be a part of strengthening their local community.

 

Most people who are familiar with CAST Schools know a bit about our history, specifically that we got our start as a nonprofit organization thanks to financial contributions from both H-E-B and its chairman, Charles Butt. Over time, we have diversified our financial support, but we are grateful to still receive funding from these founding donors.

 

That isn’t the only way our story and organization are intertwined with H-E-B. This visit to Cibolo was arranged by Michael Williams, Sr. Director of eCommerce-Home Delivery Operations who has been working closely with the CAST Lead campus to ensure their e-commerce curriculum is aligned with industry expectations. In addition to sitting on the CAST Lead industry advisory board, Williams is mentoring 2 sophomores at the campus. He is just one of many H-E-B partners who is giving back through mentoring, hiring high school and college interns, or sharing his expertise on a campus-based industry advisory board.   

 

Our relationship with H-E-B is part of our origin story, and listening to leaders speak in both Cibolo and Monterrey I reflected that I hope that we have taken the most important lesson from this company, the importance of service and putting people first. 

 

Education is a human-centered enterprise yet often can be surprisingly hierarchical. At CAST Schools, I’m grateful we share a bit of DNA with an organization that is relentlessly committed to caring about the people it serves.

 

Jeanne Russell

Executive Director

CAST Schools

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The Centers for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) Network is a tax-exempt organization as described in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Service code. CAST Schools are partnership schools with a focus on STEM careers, project based learning and work-based learning. Key partners include public school districts, higher education institutions, and local employers from target industries.