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Mike Steele
Retired
Mike Steele served as the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Communities In Schools of Greater Tarrant County Inc. for 25 years, from May 1992 to May 2017.12 He retired in May 2017 at the age of 70, coinciding with the organization's 25th anniversary.1
Prior to his role at Communities In Schools, Steele had a 20-year career in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot.1 He also spent two years as an executive director of a drug and alcohol prevention agency before joining Communities In Schools.1
Under Steele's leadership, the organization grew significantly:
- It started with serving under 200 kids in two schools
- By the time of his retirement, it was serving about 5,000 students annually in 57 schools across nine school districts1
Steele was instrumental in developing the organization from its inception, which grew out of a United Way Stay-in-School Task Force in 1990 and 1991.1 The organization's mission focused on providing holistic support to at-risk youth to prevent dropouts and give them a fair chance at success.1
Upon his retirement, Steele was succeeded by Lindsey Garner, who had been serving as the nonprofit's chief operations officer.1
